Leigh Leopards 2023 in review

September 30, 2023

Leigh Leopards 2023 in review

Overall playing record:

Played 32, Won 20, Lost 12. For 694, Against 580.

Betfred Super League

Played 27, Won 16, Lost 11, For 585, Against 508, 32pts (5th position)

Play-Off: Played 1, Lost 1, For 6, Against 20.

Betfred Challenge Cup

Played 4, Won 4, For 103, Against 52.

Results by month (HOME GAMES IN CAPITALS):

February

SALFORD L 10-20, Catalans L 6-14

March

Hull KR W 30-25, ST HELENS W 20-12, Warrington L 20-38, Hull W 24-16, WIGAN L 6-34

April

SALFORD L 20-22, Wakefield W 32-0, LEEDS W 20-6

May

CASTLEFORD W 30-6, Huddersfield W 30-4, Wakefield (Cup) W 40-12, WARRINGTON W 30-12

June

Wakefield (Magic at Newcastle) W 30-4, HULL W 28-16, York (Cup) W 34-14, Catalans L 30-38, HULL KR W 34-4

July

Castleford W 34-16, Salford W 24-22, St Helens (Cup SF at Warrington) W 12-10, Wigan L 18-44

August

Leeds W 13-6, Hull KR (Cup Final at Wembley) W 17-16 after golden point extra time, CATALANS L 14-30, Hull KR L 10-52

September

HUDDERSFIELD W 34-16, St Helens L 12-22, WAKEFIELD W 20-19 after golden point extra time, WIGAN L 6-10, Hull KR (Play-Off) L 6-20

Highest home attendance

10,308 v Wigan (Round 27)

Highest away attendance

58,213 at Wembley, 26,326 at Magic, 15,377 at Wigan (Round 20)

Captain:

John Asiata 28 games, Lachlan Lam 4 games.

Ever-presents:

Tom Amone, Tom Briscoe, Lachlan Lam.

Top tries:

Josh Charnley 30, Tom Briscoe 19, Lachlan Lam 10.

Top goals:

Ben Reynolds 88.

Top points:

Ben Reynolds 196.

Appearances (Tries):

Tom Amone 32 (7), John Asiata 28 (2), Tom Briscoe 32 (19), Ed Chamberlain 17 (4), Josh Charnley 30 (30), Matt Davis 30 (1), Oliver Gildart 8 (1), Frankie Halton 3, Umyla Hanley 2, Zak Hardaker 27 (4), Oliver Holmes 22 (1), Jack Hughes 17 (2), Edwin Ipape 28 (8), Lachlan Lam 32 (10), Ricky Leutele 20 (4), Joe Mellor 26 (4), Robbie Mulhern 31 (4), Ben Nakubuwai 21 (1), Tom Nisbet 4, Dan Norman 3, Gareth O’Brien 31 (4), Kai O’Donnell 25 (5), Ben Reynolds 27 (5), Ava Seumanufagai 17 (1), Joe Shorrocks 4 (1), Aaron Smith 2, Joe Wardle 11 (1), Nathan Wilde 10.

Goals: Zak Hardaker 17, Lachlan Lam 1DG, Gareth O’Brien 2 & 3DG, Ben Reynolds 88.

New Heritage Numbers:

Zak Hardaker (ex-Leeds Rhinos) HN#1544; Tom Briscoe (ex-Leeds Rhinos) HN#1545. Ricky Leutele (ex-Huddersfield Giants) HN#1546. Gareth O’Brien (ex-Castleford Tigers) HN#1547, Matt Davis (ex-Warrington Wolves) HN#1548, Robbie Mulhern (ex-Warrington Wolves)  HN#1549, Oliver Holmes (ex-Warrington Wolves) HN#1550, Ava Seumanufagai (ex-Canterbury Bulldogs) HN#1551, Joe Shorrocks (loan from Wigan Warriors) HN#1552, Nathan Wilde (ex-Newcastle Thunder) HN#1553, Frankie Halton (ex-Hull KR) HN#1554, Umyla Hanley (ex-Wigan Warriors) HN#1555, Oliver Gildart (ex-Dolphins) HN#1556.

Team milestones

  • Highest league position for 41 years (since becoming champions in 1981-82)
  • Qualified for Super League play-offs for the first time
  • Won the Challenge Cup for the third time in the club’s history, and first time in 52 years
  • Lachlan Lam became only the second Leigh player to win the Lance Todd Trophy
  • Josh Charnley broke John Woods’s club record of most tries for the club in a topflight season, a record established in 1983-84
  • Five Leopards players selected for the Super League Dream Team: Tom Amone, John Asiata, Josh Charnley, Edwin Ipape, Lachlan Lam
  • Tom Amone top metre-maker in the Super League competition
  • Josh Charnley joint second top try-scorer in the Super League competition
  • Won against every Yorkshire side played in the league for the first time in a league season
  • Won on all six Yorkshire grounds during the season- Leeds, Castleford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Hull, and Hull KR
  • Won at Salford for the first time since 1983
  • Won at Leeds for the first time since 1984
  • Won at Castleford for the first time since 1987
  • Won at Huddersfield for the first time since 1990
  • Eight away wins in the league, highest in topflight since 1982
  • Avoided relegation for the first time in a Super League season
  • Coach and his son (Adrian and Lachlan Lam) coach and player of the month for the first time in May 2023
  • Highest home league attendance at LSV (10,308 v Wigan) and the highest for a home league game since 1987
  • Highest average home league attendances (7,254) for 62 years
  • Fielded a Women’s Super League team for the first time, who have reached the Super League 2 Promotion Play-Off Final

Player milestones

  • Tom Briscoe 400 career games and 200 career tries
  • Zak Hardaker 350 career games
  • Jack Hughes 300 career games
  • Joe Wardle 250 career games
  • Robbie Mulhern 200 career games
  • John Asiata 200 career games
  • Matt Davis 150 career games
  • Josh Charnley 1,400 career points

Betfred Challenge Cup-winning team:

O’Brien; Briscoe (try), Hardaker, Chamberlain, Charnley; Reynolds (4 goals), Lam (try, dg), Amone, Ipape, Mulhern, O’Donnell, Hughes, Asiata (capt). Subs: Mellor, Holmes, Davis, Nakubuwai.

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