Betfred Super League, Round 27
Leopards Den, Friday 20 September 2024 (8pm)
Leigh Leopards 18-12 St Helens
Leopards qualified for the Betfred Super League play-offs for a second successive season on a night of unbelievable drama, tension, excitement and emotion at the Leopards Den.
Josh Charnley’s thrilling match-winning try in front of the North Stand took him equal second with Danny McGuire in the all-time list of Super League try-scorers and was fitting to win any game.
Matt Moylan tagged on a penalty and fifth-placed Leopards survived an intense Saints barrage to earn the right to play at Salford in the Elimination Play-Off next Friday.
Sixth-placed Saints, the only team to qualify for every play-off series since Super League introduced them in 1998, travel to Warrington on Saturday.
The Leopards Den was rocking on the final evening of the season as several departing Leopards players made their final home appearance.
A near 10,000 crowd, with Saints bringing a full allocation to the South Stand, made for an electric atmosphere on the Leopards’ Inclusion Day.
The Leopards PDSL teams played their Saints counterparts at half-time and took part in the after match presentation in front of the North Stand alongside the Championship-winning women’s team.
Captain John Asiata, Kai O’Donnell, Ricky Leutele, Tom Amone, Zak Hardaker and Olly Holmes all took part in farewell speeches MC’d by club owner Derek Beaumont. The Leopards teams then all took part in an unforgettable victory song celebration.
The club’s announcement that they had fulfilled the criteria to earn a Grade A licence under the IMG criteria and thus guarantee their Super League place was the icing on the cake.
Head coach Adrian Lam and head of rugby Chris Chester have engineered a remarkable revival of the club after the desolation of relegation from the top flight in the Covid-hit year of 2021.
In less than three years they have constructed a squad that rampaged through a record-breaking Championship season, winning three trophies along the way.
Successive fifth-placed finishes and the Challenge Cup win of 2023 make this the best era of sustained success in Leigh’s long history.
Leopards’ intense defensive efforts coupled with invention on attack won this game.
Edwin Ipape, returning after injury, was immense down the middle, setting the standards that others emulated. Skipper Asiata had his best game of the season and Leutele continued his awesome run of form.
But this was a huge team effort that overcame a Saints side bolstered by the late season return after injury of seasoned stars and Tommy Makinson’s return from suspension.
Asiata, taking on the close range defence in typically determined fashion, stretched out to score and Leutele brilliantly finished off a sweeping move as Leopards opened up a 12-0 interval lead, thanks to two Moylan goals.
Makinson thought he’d opened the scoring but the video referee spotted obstruction in the build-up and Saints were still struggling to open their account as the second half began with the same incredible intensity.
Leutele’s harsh sin binning for an alleged high tackle on Jack Welsby opened the door. With Leopards short-handed Saints drew level with tries by Makinson and Morgan Knowles, Jon Bennison adding two conversions.
Lesser teams would have folded but not the Leopards. Twelve minutes remained when Charnley’s typically efficient in the corner from Moylan’s assist regained the lead.
Moylan couldn’t add the conversion but tagged on a penalty and Leopards survived that late Saints barrage to earn their 10th win in their last 12 games and continue their amazing end of season form.
Leopards
6 Matt Moylan; 34 Darnell McIntosh, 24 Umyla Hanley, 4 Ricky Leutele, 5 Josh Charnley; 1 Gareth O’Brien, 7 Lachlan Lam; 8 Tom Amone, 9 Edwin Ipape, 10 Robbie Mulhern, 11 Kai O’Donnell, 16 Frankie Halton, 13 John Asiata
Bench:
12 Jack Hughes, 17 Owen Trout, (Not Used) 33 Brad Dwyer, 35 Aaron Pene. 18th man (not used) 15 Matt Davis
Tries: Asiata (21), Leutele (37), Charnley (66)
Goals: Moylan 3/ 4
Sin bin: Leutele (53)
Saints
1 Jack Welsby; 2 Tommy Makinson, 11 Sione Mata’utia, 4 Mark Percival, 5 Jon Bennison; 6 Jonny Lomax (capt), 7 Lewis Dodd; 20 George Delaney, 24 Jake Burns, 10 Matty Lees, 19 Matt Whiteley, 12 Joe Batchelor, 13 Morgan Knowles
Bench:
9 Daryl Clark, 15 James Bell, 17 Agnatius Paasi, 31 Noah Stephens. 18th player (not used): 21 Ben Davies
Tries: Makinson (59), Knowles (62)
Goals: Bennison 2/ 2
Scoring sequence: 6-0, 12-0 (ht) 12-6, 12-12, 16-12, 18-12
Referee: Liam Moore; Touch judges: M Craven & R Thompson; Video referee: Ben Thaler; Timekeeper: P Smith; M Com: Tony Brown; Reserve referee: A Williams
Attendance: 9,899
Penalty count: 5-2
GLDO: 2-2
Main Match Sponsor: Retirement Professionals (awarded to Edwin Ipape)
Associate Match Sponsor: Funding Friends
Player of the Match Sponsor: Advanced Steel Services
Match Programme Sponsor: Nutra Prep’s
Match Ball Sponsor: Edu-Lettings
Champagne Moment Sponsor: Bury Financial Services (awarded to Josh Charnley for his try)
Kit Sponsor: Patrick
