Betfred Super League Round 23
Friday 22 August 2025
Leopards Den (8pm)
Leigh Leopards 38-6 Salford Red Devils
Leopards got back to winning ways against crisis torn Salford at the Leopards Den, emerging from a disjointed first half display to play with increasing fluency in the second.
Salford cobbled together 17 players, taking their seasonal squad numbers up to 69 and bringing in halfback Rowan Milnes on loan earlier in the day. They played with no little spirit and resolve, took the lead midway through the first half and trailed by only 12-6 midway up until the hour-mark.
Their supporters, massed in the east stand, kept up their backing throughout the game and deservedly gained recognition from both sets of players at the end.
Leopards’ side had 10 changes, some positional, from the defeat at Hull and Aaron Pene returned after a long absence with a back injury. Brad Dwyer, out of the team since Magic, came back in to earn the Player of the Match award, adding much needed energy and creativity from the bench.
Jack Darbyshire made his Super League debut for Salford, on loan from Leopards, and acquitted himself well alongside five other players on debut.
Former Leigh favourite Joe Mellor opened the scoring for the visitors, nipping over from dummy half, and rightly earning the Champagne Moment award from sponsors GJU Flooring.
Mellor later came into Premier Club and spoke eloquently and emotionally about the situation he’s faced his season, earning a standing ovation.
Tesi Niu scuttled the close-range defence for the equalising try and just before half-time Ethan O’Neill leapt high to take Lachlan Lam’s pinpoint kick and give his side a hard-earned lead.
There it stayed until Charnley’s first try following a blindside move just before the hour-mark.
Matt Davis then supported Lam’s break to dive over before intense Leopards’ pressure created the opportunity for Bailey Hodgson.
Charnley powered over for his second try and AJ Towse completed the scoring with his second touch after a sweeping move.
Leopards
Bailey Hodgson; Keanan Brand, Darnell McIntosh, Tesi Niu, Josh Charnley; Ben McNamara, Lachlan Lam; Jack Hughes, Matt Davis, Robbie Mulhern, Andrew Badrock, Ethan O’Neill, Isaac Liu
Bench:
Aaron Pene, AJ Towse, Alec Tuitavake, Brad Dwyer. 18th player (not used) Gareth O’Brien
Tries:
Niu (23), O’Neill (39), Charnley (59, 72), Davis (63), Hodgson (68), Towse (76)
Goals:
McNamara 5/ 7
Red Devils
Declan Murphy; Nathan Connell, Louix Gorman, Jack Darbyshire, Neil Tchamambe; Rowan Milnes, Joe Mellor; Loghan Lewis, Finley Yates, Justin Sangare, Leon Ruan, Dan Russell, Harvey Wilson
Bench:
Charlie Glover, Tiaki Chan, Toby Warren, Emmanuel Waine. 18th player (not used) Samuel Hill
Try:
Mellor (19)
Goal:
Milnes 1/ 1
Scoring sequence:
0-6, 6-6, 12-6 (ht) 18-6, 24-6, 28-6, 34-6, 38-6
Referee: Marcus Griffiths
Touch judges: S Mikalauskas & G Jones; Reserve referee: A Belafonte
M Com: Peter Taberner; Video referee: Aaron Moore; Timekeeper: Keith Leyland
Penalty count: 5-3
GLDO: 0-3
Attendance: 7,826
Main Match Sponsor:
Bury Financial Services Ltd
Player of the Match sponsor:
Bridge & Geoff (awarded to Brad Dwyer)
Associate Match sponsor:
Retirement Professionals
Match Ball sponsor:
End Systems
Champagne Moment sponsor:
GJU Flooring (awarded to joe Mellor for the opening try)
Official Kit & Retail partner:
Reebok
