Betfred Super League Round 26
Saturday 12 September 2025 (8pm)
Leopards Den
Leigh Leopards 28-10 St Helens
Leopards completed their first league double over Saints since 1951 and earned a home playoff tie for the first time in the summer era on a heady night of celebration at the Leopards Den.
Victory over Huddersfield in Round 27 will secure Leopards a final finishing position of third and with it a home Elimination Playoff against Wakefield Trinity or Hull FC.
Wigan’s runaway win over Castleford secured Leigh’s Borough rivals second spot but Leopards took full advantage of Leeds’s slip up at home to Catalans to jump above the Rhinos. Meanwhile Saints will have to settle for fifth place.
Leopards dominated the Saints pack physically- no mean feat- and supplied a clinical finish to some scintillating moves to earn a win as convincing as the scoreline suggests.
Leading 12-0 at halftime, Leopards survived a nervous patch immediately after the re-start with Edwin Ipape cooling his heels in the bin after incurring his team’s first yellow card of the season.
Ipape was controversially sin binned for a high tackle on Daryl Clark, who to his credit immediately jumped to his feet. Ipape’s first challenge bounced off the ball at first contact and there was nothing in the incident at all.
Saints took advantage by scoring two tries through Kyle Feldt and Harry Robertson while Leopards were shorthanded.
Ipape’s return and the arrival of Brad Dwyer and the fit-again Joe Ofahengaue saw Leopards step up a gear and they dominated the last half-hour, scoring tries by Jack Hughes, Ipape and Owen Trout.
Earlier Andrew Badrock, deputising for Tesi Niu, had finished off a sparkling move initiated by Lachlan Lam’s smart delayed pass and Bailey Hodson’s supporting run.
Hometown hero Badrock, a former Leigh Miners product, was a deserved choice for Player of the Match as he continued to impress in his first Super League campaign.
Lam’s assist for Keanan Brand to blast over in the right corner was his 40th of a remarkable season.
Tristan Sailer was a constant threat for Saints with his darting runs but once Saints’ pack is dominated their backs have far less opportunities. Saints lost Alex Walmsley to an HIA late in the first half and without the veteran forward looked a shadow of their selves.
A raucous five-figure Leopards Den crowd roared their favourites to another historic win as they enjoyed another memorable evening on the greatest stage for the world’s greatest game.
Leopards
Bailey Hodgson; Keanan Brand, Umyla Hanley, Andrew Badrock, Josh Charnley; Gareth O’Brien, Lachlan Lam; Robbie Mulhern, Edwin Ipape, Owen Trout, Jack Hughes, Frankie Halton, Isaac Liu
Bench:
Matt Davis, Aaron Pene, Brad Dwyer, Joe Ofahengaue.18th player: Alec Tuitavake (played)
Tries:
Badrock (12), Brand (25), Hughes (58), Ipape (66), Trout (75)
Goals:
O’Brien 3/ 5, Hodgson 1/ 1
Yellow card:
Ipape (39)
Saints
Tristan Sailor; Kyle Feldt, Harry Robertson, Mark Percival, Deon Cross; Jack Welsby, Moses Mbye; Alex Walmsley, Daryl Clark, Matty Lees, Curtis Sironen, Matt Whitley, Joe Batchelor
Bench:
Johny Lomax, James Bell, Agnatius Paasi, George Delaney. 18th player Jon Bennion (not used)
Tries:
Feldt (45), Robertson (48)
Goals:
Percival 1/ 2
Referee: Liam Moore
Touch-judges: M Griffiths & R Thompson
Reserve referee: Matty Lynn
M Com: P Smith; Video referee: Jack Smith; Timekeeper: Tony Brown
Penalty count: 5-4
GLDO: 1-0
Attendance: 10,011
Main Match sponsor: Bolton Steel Structures Ltd
Player of the Match sponsor: Appy Little Plums Day Nursery & Pre School (awarded to Andrew Badrock)
Match Ball sponsor: Caton Lloyd Audio Visual Solutions
Champagne Moment sponsor: Krakin Catering (awarded to Edwin Ipape for his try)
Official Kit & Retail partner: Reebok
