Leigh Leopards have won their fifth game in six matches after a scrappy win over Castleford Tigers.
Emerging as 24-14 winners, Joe Ofahengaue was a number of Leigh men to have a stellar game in order to beat Ryan Carr’s side, ending their two-game winning run.
After going 8-0 up, Castleford looked to be in control, but a controversial obstruction call led to a momentum shift, which then saw Leigh score 16 unanswered points before the half-time break.
After getting a try back via George Lawler, the Tigers were only two points behind, but a poor Daejarn Asi error allowed Adam Cook to race away to score an easy try and seal the victory.
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Castleford Tigers v Leigh Leopards talking points
Two desperate sides:
With both sides seeing an increase in form as of late, the two were all-too-often trying to overplay in order to earn their latest victory.
With that came some questionable decisions on last plays, more so Castleford than Leigh, and that led to some wasted field position.
As well as that came errors, and at some key times too. PLT couldn’t find the final pass that would have sent Louis Senior over and increased the lead to 14, whilst Jacob Alick-Wiencke straight dropped the ball 10 metres from his own line, giving Castleford that chance in the first place.
Undoubtedly the biggest error was Daejarn Asi’s drop ball in the 67th minute, which allowed Adam Cook to score with ease. At that point, the margin was increased to 10 points, leaving Castleford with too much to do.
There is still half a season to go, but with both teams desperate to make the play-offs after poor starts to the year, you’d expect that these two points will have a part to play in the final standings in September.
Sensational Joe Ofahengaue:
One of the best players on the field, certainly the best forward, was Leigh prop Joe Ofahengaue. After playing the first 50 minutes without a rest, he, alongside Isaac Liu were so important in Leigh’s metre-making and defensive work in the middle of the field.
Last year’s mid-season signing was at his best this evening, and whilst the try-scorers will get the credit, his work in the middle of the field, and his ability to find late offloads allowed Leigh to produce some solid second-phase plays.
He returned for a second stint in the final 20 minutes, and was equally as influential then. He ended the game as one of the top metre makers, and consistently proves himself to be one of the competition’s best props.
Momentum-shifting 15 minutes:Â
Castleford were in full ascendancy after the opening quarter, and a penalty goal on 17 minutes increased their lead to 8-0.
However, a perhaps controversial obstruction call on Jason Qareqare stopped a Tigers attack in its tracks, however there was little to suggest that a Leigh player had been impeded.
It was a decision that Sky Sports co-commentator Jon Wilkin labelled “an incredibly tough call” on Castleford, and that allowed Leigh great field position to get their first try through Jacob Alick-Wiencke.
Following that, Innes Senior bagged a second for Leigh to give them the lead for the first time in the game. A second conversion from Adam Cook gave the Leopards a 12-8 lead.
To make matters worse, Alex Mellor was also forced with a HIA, meaning the home side were left without their skipper for a crucial period of the contest. Fortunately, he was able to pass the test and return to the field.
Injury concerns:
Both sides have been left with some concerns to some key men following this tie. Bailey Hodgson looked to be in some pain in the second half, and on a couple of occasions looked like he was hobbling.
For Castleford, PLT suffered what looked like an ankle injury in the final few minutes of the game, and it would prove costly with the side needing a try, and on the last play he wasn’t in position to keep the play moving.
As mentioned, Mellor left the field with a HIA, whilst both Brock Greacen and Lachlan Lam needed running repairs.
Senior vs Senior:
For the first time in five years, twins Innes and Louis Senior played against each other, and this evening they lined up directly opposite each other.
The last time that occurred was when Huddersfield beat Wakefield in August 2021, with Louis taking the spoils that day.
That wouldn’t be the same here, with Innes not only scoring a try, but claiming the victory too.
