Leigh Leopards have beaten Leeds Rhinos in a thrilling Super League opening round tie, and here are the biggest talking points from the game.
After emerging victorious in the third round of the Challenge Cup, the two sides came into the game with confidence, but it would be the Leopards who continued their winning run.
Five different players crossed for Leigh, including Lachlan Lam and Jack Hughes – the latter of whom scored just 10 seconds into the second half, after a Riley Lumb error allowed him to pounce.
Cooper Jenkins and a consolation from Brodie Croft were the only tries by Leeds on the night, in a disappointing performance from Brad Arthur’s men.
The game was full of key moments, and here are some of biggest takeaways from the contest.
The BIG Super League preview with every team covered and predictions made – Click here to watch the latest episode of The Serious About Rugby League Show
Leigh Leopards vs Leeds Rhinos talking points
Tensions boil over:
Super League has been away since October, and you can tell that both sets of players have missed the ferocity of the game. Both Tesi Niu and Harry Newman were involved in a battle for the full 80-minutes, and on a number of occasions, their frustrations came to a head.
Following a coming together around 55 minutes, Leeds had Leigh backed on their own line, and were aggressive in their defence. Niu took the carry in and a 26-man coming-together ensued. As a result, Newman and Matt Davis were sent to the sin bin, and both teams were down to 12.
Leeds lack creativity:
With no Jake Connor, Leeds’ attacking game was significantly hindered, and like on many occasions in his Leeds career, Brodie Croft wasn’t able to step up and be that focal point that the Rhinos desperately needed.
The Australia took control of the kicking game, but the majority were ineffective, whilst his decision-making on the last tackle cost Leeds a number of good-ball opportunities.
George Brown, who made his Super League debut, partnered him in the halves, but the youngster couldn’t make his mark on the game like he did against Widnes last week.
Impressive Ipape:
Edwin Ipape was at the centre of everything Leigh did well tonight, and in both in attack and defence he made his presence felt.
We know how intense the PNG man’s defensive efforts are, and there were plenty of those on show, but his work with ball in hand was what made him stand out.
He made the line break to allow Bailey Hodgson and Lachlan Lam to find Innes Senior for a first SL try in new colours, before the hooker himself crossed from close range to give Leigh a 10-2 lead at the break.
Rhinos rue injured stars:
Connor wasn’t the only injured man that Leeds missed tonight. Their forward pack was heavily depleted, with the likes of Mikolaj Oledzki and Keenan Palasia also on the sidelines.
Their pack was dominated, and that allowed Leigh to gain some easy metres in the middle of the field, and also meant that they could get the better of Leeds when defending on their own line.
The outside backs weren’t their usual selves, either, and it was clear to see how they missed Maika Sivo and Ash Handley.
Leopards on the prowl:
After not being able to get the better of Leeds in 2025, Leigh achieved it at the first time of asking, and have set a marker down for the rest of the competition.
The Leopards will want to improve on their 3rd placed finish last season, and results against big teams like Leeds will only boost their chances.
Adrian Lam’s side were far from perfect, but it is a sold performance to begin the year, and given their tough run of fixtures in February, it will give them huge confidence they can go on and secure more points against their play-off rivals.
Ruck momentum:
One thing that could be visibly seen was the momentum shifting between the two sides, and that was primarily caused by the speed of the ruck.
We know that Super League will be cleaner and quicker this year, and there was a correlation between the team that were in control and their ability to get quick play the balls.
The Leopards’ forward pack being by far the better of the two sides helped Leigh to those faster rucks, and that allowed the likes of Ipape, Lam and Adam Cook to show their attacking prowess.
