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Leigh Leopards further underlined their position as bona fide Super League title contenders with another statement victory, this time winning at fourth-placed St Helens to close the gap on the competition’s top two.
A month ago, Leigh conceded 50 points at Leeds and, with fixtures against the league leaders Hull KR, second-placed Wigan and the Saints on the horizon, it was not inconceivable to consider whether the Leopards could find themselves in a scramble just to make the playoffs in the final two months of the season.
However, they have won all three games to not only solidify their position inside the top six but mount an assault on Hull KR and Wigan above them. Adrian Lam’s side are now just one point behind the Warriors and three behind the Robins after their first victory at St Helens since 1982.
Against a Saints side who themselves had aspirations of a top-two finish and a home semi-final in the playoffs having won five games in succession, Leigh were defensively meticulous and clinical when it mattered at the other end, with Joe Ofahengaue’s second-half try sealing another eye-catching win.
A Championship side just three years ago, Leigh have emerged as one of Super League’s best clubs on and off the field and are firmly in the conversation for the Grand Final. The game has not had a first-time winner at Old Trafford since Leeds in 2004; suddenly, it is not outrageous to suggest the Leopards could end that wait.
The game had all the hallmarks of an early sighting of the playoffs. It was intense from start to finish and you always felt that every point would be crucial. That was emphasised when the Leopards twice opted to kick penalties from the boot of Gareth O’Brien to take a four-point lead at half-time.
In contrast the Saints – who avoided being nilled at home for the first time in the Super League only through Harry Robertson’s late consolation – opted to chance their arm and run the ball instead of taking kickable penalties. That proved to be fatal come full time, as their attack failed to muster anything significant to trouble a wonderful Leigh defensive effort.
The Leopards then struck a decisive blow midway through the second half. With the Saints still stuttering offensively, Edwin Ipape teed up for Ofahengaue, who barged through three defenders to touch down and give O’Brien a simple conversion to make it 10-0.
Could St Helens respond? In short, no. They continued to toil away without any success in attack, with Paul Wellens bizarrely opting to use only two of his interchanges all evening and keeping Jon Bennison and Leon Cowen on the bench.
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And victory was assured in the final stages. After an error from Kyle Feldt the ball found its way to Ofahengaue, one of several magnificent recruits from the NRL in recent years that have transformed this club, and he crossed unchallenged to make it 16-0. Robertson’s consolation with seconds left mattered little in terms of the outcome.
It was a historic evening on a number of fronts. Records are there to be broken – and perhaps a first league title since 1982 is now not out of the question for a club who were making up the numbers just a few short years ago.
