A fourth meeting of the season between the Leigh Leopards
and Wakefield Trinity would determine who would progress to within a match of
Old Trafford and a date at the 2025 Super League Grand Final.
Wakefield won the first meeting of the season all the way back
in round six, but Leigh triumphed in the Challenge Cup quarter final and the
second league meeting at the end of June, but neither were by massive margins,
which was reflected in the home side being handicapped by eight points on the
coupon.
A win for Leigh would set up a meeting with near neighbours
Wigan Warriors next week while a Wakefield victory would send them to Hull KR
in the semi-finals.
Leigh started the game on the front foot but after absorbing
early pressure the visitors started to make some headway themselves.
On eleven it was the Leopards who exploited an overlap down
the right-hand side with Keenan Brand the man on hand to take the ball from
Umyla Hanley and go in from ten metres to round closer to the sticks. Gareth O’Brien
added the conversion for a 6-0 lead.
A sensational Wakefield defence prevented what looked like a
certain Leigh try on twenty-three but on the next tackle from a ten metre play
the ball Isaac Niu went through the laine and pushed away an attempted tackle
to score by the uprights. O’Neill hit the mark again, Trinity getting blown
away by a Leigh side on top form.
A Lachlan Lam 40-20 on twenty-seven put the Leopards back in
control and two tackles later Lam put Josh Charnley over down the left-hand
side for the third Leigh try of the night. O’Brien hit the mark again for 18-0,
Leigh already with one foot on the number 609 bus to Wigan.
Three minutes after the restart Wakefield managed what they
hadn’t in the opening forty and grabbed a try. A high kick was missed by attack
and defence alike before being regained by Trinity and moved to the right wing
where Jayden Myers managed to score in the corner. Mason Lino was just wide
with the conversion attempt.
From the restart Wakefield were punished for crossing with O’Brien
kicking the penalty from twenty-five metres.
If there was any remaining doubt it was snuffed out on
sixty-one Alec Tuitavake taking the pass ten out from the line, spinning out of
a tackle, and reaching to ground one handed under the sticks. O’Brien was again
on target for 26-4.
With ten minutes of the game remaining Cameron Scott danced
his way to the line from forty metres as the tired defenders fell off him. Lino
was on target with the conversion, Wakefield into double figures at 10-26.
Leigh Leopards live to fight another week while Wakefield’s
season is over and ended in a damp squib rather than a blaze of glory. Leigh
will face their closes neighbours Wigan Warriors and Matt Peet will know that
he can’t take the challenge lightly with Adrian Lam aching to get one over on
his former employers and take Leigh to their first ever Grand Final. Wakefield
have had a stunning first season back in the to flight under Daryl Powell, but
it came to a disappointing end in their biggest game of the season.
Leigh Leopards: Hodgson, Brand (T), Niu (T), Hanley,
Charnley (T), O’Brien (G 5/5), Lam, Ofahengaue, Ipape, Mulhern, Halton, Trout,
Liu. Subs: Hughes, Tuitavake (T), Davis, Dwyer. 18th Man: O’Neill.
Wakefield Trinity: Rourke, Myers (T), Scott (T), Pratt,
Johnstone, Trueman, Lino (G 1/2), McMeeken, Hood, Faatili, Storton, Griffin,
Pitts. Subs: Atoni, Rodwell, Smith, Nikotemo.
18th Man: Cozza.
Half-Time: 18-0.
Full-Time: 26-10.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 10-0, 12-0, 16-0, 18-0 : HT: 18-4,
20-4, 24-4, 26-4, 26-8, 26-10 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Leigh.
Referee: Liam Moore.
