Leigh Leopards hosted Wakefield Trinity in the first game of the Super League play-offs in a game with a number of talking points as the home side cruised into the play-off semi-finals.
Adrian Lam’s side started quick and didn’t really let up as they put in a dominant performance to win 26-10 with tries from Keanan Brand, Josh Charnley, Isaac Liu and Alec Tuitavake.
These two sides featuring in the Super League play-offs might have looked an impossibility just a few years ago but Leigh have made the top six each year since their return to the top flight and their rebranding to the Leopards.
As for Wakefield, they’ve followed a similar arc to Leigh in that they also made the top six on their return to Super League but one season had to end and tonight it was Wakefield who saw their campaign come to a close as they lost 26-10.
Leigh opened the scoring through Keanan Brand as they broke from halfway with a smart move to the right edge. That led to a 15-minute spell of pressure and the dam burst when Isaac Liu danced through to make it 12-0. A Lachlan Lam 40/20 was then followed by his 42nd assist of the season as Josh Charnley made it 18-0 by the half-hour mark.
Jayden Myers gave Wakefield a chance as he scored minutes into the second-half but it wasn’t to be as Leigh, who even rested Edwin Ipape in the second-half, continued to impress with Alec Tuitavake sealing the win with his try. Cam Scott scored a brilliant consolation but that’s all it was.
Tonight’s result means that Leigh will cross the borough of Wigan and take on the Warriors next Friday, hoping to replicate their famous Round One win and qualify for a first-ever Super League Grand Final.
Leigh Leopards and Wakefield Trinity talking points
Leigh set up Wigan semi-final
The win means that Leigh will be making the short trip across the borough to face Wigan seen as league leaders Hull KR have to face the lowest-ranked qualifiers and Leigh, as third-placed finishers, cannot be the lowest-ranked qualifiers.
It’s a daunting task but Leigh have beaten Wigan twice this season, including in the memorable Round One game when they won 1-0 after golden point. It makes for a mouthwatering tie and one where the competition’s best will face each other but Leigh will certainly fancy their chances at landing the upset.
Star on report
Just after Leigh scored their fourth try of the evening to make it 26-4, it appeared that Gareth O’Brien was spoken to by referee Liam Moore with the commentary team suggesting that the Leopards man was on report due to an allegation of ‘unacceptable language’
It was then reported by touchline reporter Jenna Brooks that it was actually Lachlan Lam who had been placed on report, causing some confusion but meaning an anxious wait ahead of Monday’s Match Review Panel for whichever of the half-backs was actually reprimanded.
Moreover, Lam caused an injury to Seth Nikotemo that meant he could not return and if charged for that tackle then Lam would be handed an extra three penalty points, possibly pushing him towards a ban.
Line-speed Leopards force Wakefield to crumble
The dam burst after the 25th minute try from Isaac Liu but prior to that, Wakefield had found themselves in the washing machine as they defended set after set after set.
A big reason for that was their inability to gain any territory or build any sets and Leigh’s unrelenting line speed was at the heart of it as they stopped Trinity from getting anything going.
As a result of that, Wakefield tired quickly and couldn’t then create any line speed of their own with Edwin Ipape regularly making five or even ten metres as he ran from dummy-half. It was a cycle of pain for Wakefield and it all came down to how well-drilled, disciplined and fit Leigh were.
Leigh’s near-perfect recruitment
Every player who Leigh have signed for 2025 has had a huge impact and that was evident tonight. Bailey Hodgson, signed as a utility back behind David Armstrong, was incredible under the high ball all night and added plenty going forward.
Both Isaac Liu and Alec Tuitavake are there for their impact in the pack and they certainly brought that but the pair also scored a try apiece as well, with Joe Ofahengaue being the most dominant of the new signings in the pack.
Umyla Hanley is like a new signing this year but Tesi Niu actually is one and he was brilliant once again with each of Leigh’s recruits showing exactly what they were signed for. Whether they can replicate that in 2026 without Chris Chester is the big question.
Max Jowitt absence felt
After failing a HIA in the opening minutes of last week’s win over Salford, it meant that Wakefield were without their talisman Max Jowitt and that led to questions of how they would survive without him.
Leigh’s dominance was so evident that Rourke rarely had any chance to get into the game but he did take a ball dead and then also give away a penalty for crossing early in the second-half, shortly after Trinity had pulled a try back.
That foul resulted in a Leigh penalty with the Leopards extending the lead to 16 points and reapplying that scoreboard pressure, whilst also stopping Trin getting into a rhythm.
Wakefield lost the game far further up the field than their full-back but the loss of a leader such as Jowitt was felt in such an intense game.
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