Leigh Leopards batter Huddersfield Giants in 32 minute game

On Friday night Wigan Warriors may have gone top of the league but the big story was at Leigh Leopards.

Huddersfield Giants travelled to the Leigh Sports Village to face the Leopards with the two teams entering following contrasting results, the Leopards having lost both games since their famous Wembley win whereas the Giants had kept their season alive with victory over Leeds Rhinos.

Leigh still sat eight points clear of Huddersfield with a fourth place finish for the 2022 Championship winners looking likely, whereas for Huddersfield their finishing spot could range from fifth to tenth.

If they wanted to achieve a finish of sixth or higher and playoff rugby league then they would likely have to win all four remaining games, starting on Friday, but that was something Adrian Lam was intent on stopping as he demanded a response from las week’s humiliating 52-10 loss to Hull KR.

As for the Giants they edged out Leeds Rhinos at Headingley drawing them level onto 20 points, four outside the playoffs with eight to play for, meaning that Ian Watson’s side were almost at a stage of four must win games.

The Giants changed their spine with Will Pryce moving to full back whilst Jake Connor paired Tui Lolohea in the halves following Olly Russell’s season ending hand injury.

🐆 𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈 𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 🟠

Couple of changes tonight, as Pryce moves to full-back, with English and Wilson replacing Greenwood and Ashworth. 🔄#CowbellArmy🐮🔔 pic.twitter.com/2ABvh9LZPs

— Huddersfield Giants 🐮🔔 (@Giantsrl) September 1, 2023

As for the Leopards they named their squad and Josh Charnley passed as fit after concerns over his fitness for the game with the Leopards naming a squad close to full strength, barring the long term injury to Ricky Leutele.

TEAM SELECTION LOCKED IN for our game against @Giantsrl #betheroar #leythers pic.twitter.com/tl3vpx05T4

— Leigh Leopards (@LeighLeopardsRL) September 1, 2023

Adrian Lam got his reaction from last week’s loss almost immediately with Josh Charnley scoring after just six minutes to put the Leopards in the lead.

That lead lasted just under ten minute when Jake Connor showed fancy footwork to cross over and score, with Will Pryce’s conversion pushing the Giants in front 6-4.

It didn’t last long though with Charnley scoring his second just minutes later which saw him break John Woods’ club record for most tries in a season in the top division.

His wing partner then scored just after the half hour mark to make the lead 16-6 and put Huddersfield forty minutes away from surely facing no playoff rugby.

Jake Connor tried to fix that though as he scored his second of the game early in the second half to make it 16-12 but minutes later the floodlights failed at the Leigh Sports Village.

That prompted a ten minute delay with the players forced to leave the field before the 50 minute mark.

After 55 minutes of attempting to solve the problem the game was abandoned with the RFL determining that the final 32 minutes would be played on today in a historic moment for the sport doing so for the first time in the sport’s history.

They started with the same 13 they finished with but with the game restarted Leigh used this to their advantage bringing on John Asiata and Tom Amone as the game re started.

This paid off with Leigh moving 22-12 ahead.

Huddersfield gave themselves hope when they made it 22-16 but two more tries including a length of the field effort Lachlan Lam saw Leigh wrap up a 34-16 win.

It is a result that ends Huddersfield’s hopes of making the playoffs.