The game of the weekend got round nineteen of Super League
XXX underway as fourth placed St Helens faced a Leigh Leopards side who were
holding third place in the table in a battle of two form sides with the prize
being to edge closer to Wigan in second.
It is the first meeting between the two sides in 2025, Leigh
winning two out of the three meetings last season, but Leigh haven’t beaten St
Helens, in St Helens, since 1982.
The home side were slight favourites with the bookies, handicapped
by four points on the coupon as they looked to move past Leigh and into third
place, two points behind the Warriors.
A very active video referee agreed with referee Kendall on
three tries in the opening twenty minutes as all three were ruled out. Leigh
opened the scoring on twenty minutes when Gareth O’Brien kicked a penalty goal
to give the visitors a two-point lead.
It was a highly competitive opening thirty with nothing to
choose between the two sides, brutal defences on top.
Leigh were awarded a penalty on the half hour after Kyle Feldt
hit O’Brien without the ball, the victim opting to kick the penalty goal but
drifting the ball wide of the uprights.
Feldt made an awful mistake on thirty-nine, allowing a ball
to bounce and then being forced into a goal line drop out. That was compounded
when Feldt put the ball out on the full, with O’Brien kicking the resulting
penalty to double the lead at the interval.
Out of nothing Leigh again doubled their lead on fifty-eight
when the made a rare sortie into the St Helens half. Joe Ofahengaue took a neat
inside pass and bounced off two attempted tackles before a glancing blow off
the right post pad to ground. O’Brien added the conversion, Leigh with a 10-0
lead and heading for third spot.
Ofahengaue grabbed a second try on seventy-seven when Feldt
was unable to take a high kick into the ten metres line, the big Leopards
forwards picking up the loose ball, going around the last defender and going
over by the left upright. O’Brien found the mark again for a final score of
16-0.
There was a Saints consolation in the dying seconds as Harry
Robertson went over in the right corner after Edwin Ipape knocked-on as he
tried to gather the kick off. Feldt missed the conversion attempt but with thirty
seconds left on the clock there was no fightback.
It was a war of attrition, Leigh winning it with an
incredible defensive effort which kept Saints to just four points at home, a rare
occurrence.
It’s been a long time between drinks for Leigh on the road
at their near neighbours, their first win in St Helens for forty-three years,
after a gritty and determined performance. Leigh stay third and now have Wigan
in their sights as they nestle in just one league point behind ahead of Wigans
game on Saturday against Hull FC. Paul Wellens will put this down to a bad day
at the office and get his side regrouped for round twenty. The celebrations
will go on long into the night in Leigh.
St Helens: Sailor, Feldt (G 0/1), Robertson(T), Whitley, Dagnall, Lomax, Mbye, Walmsley, Wingfield, Delaney, Sironen, Lees, Knowles. Subs: Bennison, Paasi, Whitby, Cowen. 18th Man: Davies.
Leigh Leopards: Hodgson, Brand, Niu, Hanley, Charnley,
O’Brien (G 4/5), Lam, Trout, Ipape, Ofahengaue (2T), Halton, Hughes, Liu. Subs:
McNamara, Tuitavake, Davis, Badrock. 18th Man: Towse.
Half-Time: 0-4.
Full-Time: 4-16.
Score Progression: 0-2, 0-4 : HT: 0-8, 0-10, 0-14, 0-16,
4-16 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Leigh.
Referee: Chris Kendall.
