Betfred Super League Round 6
Leopards Den, Friday 28 March 2025 (8:05pm)
Leigh Leopards 14-40 Wakefield Trinity
Leopards slumped to their first home defeat of the season as newly promoted Trinity recorded their third win, all away from home, since returning to Super League.
Trinity’s relegation fate was sealed at the Leopards Den 18 months ago, but they have rebuilt impressively since, regaining their place in the elite after one year in the Championship.
Their dominant forward pack, with ex-Leigh favourite Liam Hood running the show, paved the way for their backs to later take over.
Leopards looked a shadow of the side that started the campaign with three straight league wins and they will need to quickly learn the lessons of this game ahead of their Challenge Cup quarter-final at Wakefield next Friday.
Though the game was marred by a series of interminable and sometimes inconclusive video referee referrals, the first half alone lasting 52 minutes, Trinity never lost their early fluency.
Tries by Oliver Russell and Mike McMeeken and the first two of Mason Lino’s six conversions gave Trinity an early 12-0 lead as they fed off Leigh mistakes and Hood’s creativity.
Leopards hit back with splendid tries by Umyla Hanley and Keanen Brand and then Gareth O’Brien was denied his claims for a try, after he twisted over in a massed tackle, by the lengthy video referral.
McMeeken’s second try and Lino’s third goal gave the visitors an 18-10 interval lead.
Any hopes of a second half revival by the home side disappeared as winger Tom Johnstone pouched an intercept and raced clear for an 80-metre try. When Hood scored the try his efforts deserved in front of the North Stand just after the midway point of the second half the game as a contest was effectively over.
Though Leopards briefly found some of their lost attacking fluency for Frankie Halton to cross on the left, Trinity finished the stronger side.
Johnstone’s second try- another 80-metre interception- and Russell’s second just on the hooter from close range completed another successful away day.
Leopards
David Armstrong; Keanan Brand, Umyla Hanley, Tesi Niu, Bailey Hodgson; Gareth O’Brien, Lachlan Lam; Owen Trout, Brad Dwyer, Jack Hughes, Frankie Halton, Ethan O’Neill, Isaac Liu.
Bench:
Louis Brogan, Alec Tuitavake, Matty Davis, Edwin Ipape. 18th player: Ben McNamara
Tries:
Hanley (18), Brand (26), Halton (64)
Goals:
O’Brien 1/ 3
Trinity
Josh Rourke; Matty Russell, Cam Scott, Oliver Pratt, Tom Johnstone; Mason Lino, Oliver Russell; Mike McMeeken, Liam Hood, Calen Hamlin-Uele, Josh Griffin, Isaiah Vagana, Jay Pitts
Bench:
Ky Rodwell, Mathieu Cozza, Harvey Smith, Caius Faatili. 18th player: Lachlan Walmsley
Tries:
Russell (9, 80), McMeeeken (12, 38), Johnstone (56, 73), Hood (61)
Goals:
Lino 6/ 7
Referee: Marcus Griffiths; Touch judges: D Bowmer & R Cox. Reserve referee: P Brooke. M Com: A Mills; Video referee: Chris Kendall, Timekeeper: Peter Taberner
Attendance: 8,050
Scoring sequence: 0-6, 0-12, 6-12, 10-12, 10-18 (ht) 10-24, 10-30, 14-30, 14-36, 14-40
Penalty count: 4-1
GLDO: 1-0
Main Match Sponsor: Hilltop Products
Associate Match Sponsor: Appy Little Plums Children’s Nursery
Match Ball Sponsor: Bolton Steel Structures
Champagne Moment Sponsor: PSL Plumbing & Heating: awarded to Umyla Hanley for his try
Player of the Match Sponsor: Lawmaster UJ: awarded to Edwin Ipape
Kit Sponsor: Reebok
