Hull FC are out of the Challenge Cup after a poor defeat at Leigh.
17:03, 14 Mar 2026Updated 20:12, 14 Mar 2026
Hull FC prop Ligi Sao in action. (Image: SW PIX)
Hull FC are out of the Challenge Cup after Saturday’s 16-6 defeat at Leigh Leopards, with the Black and Whites off the pace, on the back foot, and comfortably second best once again.
A ten-point margin flattered John Cartwright’s side, who were beaten to the punch by a Leyther side who played with more energy and urgency. In truth, Hull looked disjointed, jaded, and not at the level required to compete with rugby league’s new and quicker ruck speeds – and were left wanting again.
Making errors and poor in terms of their discipline, Hull – who saw John Asiata battle on after an injury scare to his leg in the second half – struggled to get a foothold and when they did get into position, their shape didn’t click, with the attack rarely looking capable of penetrating an understrength and spirited Leigh side who were good value for their win.
Deservedly beaten, that’s now four defeats on the spin for Hull, and it doesn’t look good. It’s the manner of them, too, which is equally alarming. Rugby League in 2026 is very much a game of momentum, and it was Leigh who had that momentum, and Hull were helpless to stop it.
The Leythers played on the front foot and with six agains and penalties racking up the stat sheets, looked a threat throughout. It took Hull an age to get going, and in truth, they only had a brief spell before half-time where they looked remotely threatening of creating anything.
Slow starters, they were smothered early on, and even Leigh losing Keanan Brand to injury in the very first set didn’t stop them from taking the ascendancy. In fact, for pretty much the opening half an hour, it was all Leigh. They dominated the territory and kept the pressure coming on FC, who were constantly pinned in the corners and hanging on. Eventually, they cracked, with Innes Senior rounding Tom Briscoe for the game’s first try.
It was a smart play from Leigh, who spotted Arthur Romano out of position after two big defensive plays. They hit Hull’s right edge and found the space to score. They didn’t hold up. They had a surge of field position and it told, as Lachlan Lam – who looked to be wrapped up – outstretched an arm to score.
That put Leigh 10-0 to the good and it could have been more. They were utterly dominant for 30 minutes but Cade Cust’s introduction for Amir Bourouh added an injection of urgency and pace into Hull, who finally built some territory and got their reward.
They camped down on Leigh’s line for the first time and came up trumps, with Cust spotting a gap from dummy half and darting over under the sticks. That sprung Hull into life and they could have struck again – but Sam Lisone couldn’t take Asiata’s pass.
On the back of a penalty, Leigh then surged upfield once again and earned another penalty after the half-time hooter had gone. Adam Cook made no mistake and extended the Leythers’ lead to 12-6 at the break.
The second half started in the same fashion. Leigh lost a second player to injury in Andrew Badrock, but they again hit the front foot at the start of the half and extended their lead with another penalty goal.
Hull – who struggled to get going in the second half – then had a golden chance to hit back against the run of play, with Davy Litten racing 80 metres after a loose Leigh attack. The centre was brought down by Josh Charnley, with the ball dislodged in the tackle – a gutsy try-saving play by the veteran.
Another penalty goal then followed, with Leigh extending their lead to ten points through Cook’s boot. And that lead never looked in danger of being pulled back, with Hull – who saw an injury scare for Asiata and Cust sin binned late on alongside Lam – crashing out of the cup and their season taking another unwanted turn. Things need to pick up and fast.
Teams
Leigh Starting XIII: 21. Gareth O’Brien; 19. Innes Senior, 3. Tesi Niu, 2. Keanan Brand, 5. Josh Charnley; 6. Adam Cook, 7. Lachlan Lam; 12. Owen Trout, 24. Ben McNamara, 10. Robbie Mulhern; 11. Frankie Halton, 23. Andrew Badrock; 13. Isaac Liu
Interchange: 22. Jack Hughes, 15. Jacob Alick-Wiencke, 28. Ryan Brown, 17. Liam Horne. 18th Man: 25. Louis Brogan
Hull Starting XIII: 4. Zak Hardaker; 19. Tom Briscoe, 21. Arthur Romano, 3. Davy Litten, 5. Lewis Martin; 6. Jake Arthur, 7. Aidan Sezer; 10. Harvie Hill, 9. Amir Bourouh, 20. Yusuf Aydin; 15. James Bell, 22. Connor Bailey; 13. John Asiata
Interchange: 14. Cade Cust, 16. Sam Lisone, 18. Ligi Sao, 23. Brad Fash. 18th Man: 25. Matty Laidlaw
Scorers
Leigh Tries: Senior, Lam. Goals: Cook 4/5
Hull Tries: Cust. Goals: Hardaker 1/1
Scoring System: 4-0, 10-0, 10-6, 12-6, HT, 14-6, 16-6, FT
Referee: Tom Grant
Attendance: 5,535