Leigh Leopards poor start to the season continued as they lost 22-16 to Catalans Dragons at home as they were once again left ruing their discipline.
A late Tesi Niu score offered hope but it was too late for the Leopards as an early second-half blitz from Catalans saw them come away from Leigh with the two points.
Leigh had ten players out but the major change saw them play Gareth O’Brien at full-back whilst Catalans fielded two rookie wingers in Leo Darrelatour and full-back Phoenix Laulu-Togagae.
Where the game was won
The scoring started on the ten-minute mark when Tesi Niu scored his first but Leigh were pegged back thanks to their own ill-discipline, with Harvey Wilson scoring under the stacks after back-to-back penalties.
Toby Sexton made it 8-6 via the boot minutes into the second half before an Innes Senior score was sandwiched between tries from Charlie Staines and Lewis Dodd as Catalans stretched their lead to 20-10.
Tesi Niu’s controversial score made it 20-16 to set up a grandstand finish which cut short with a 79th minute Toby Sexton penalty making it 22-16 and kill the game off.
It means Leigh now sit with just one win from four, a torrid start from the Leopards considering their lofty expectations after last year’s third-place finish.
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Leigh Leopards versus Catalans Dragons talking points
Controversial try
Tesi Niu’s try just after the hour mark breathed life into the game but there will be big questions over how it was allowed to happen. As to what Niu did, there can be no complaint from Catalans as the centre raced away from inside his own half to score a brilliant try.
However, the ball had been passed to him by full-back Gareth O’Brien who just minutes earlier had seen his head bounce nastily off the floor following a tackle by Kruise Leeming.
Leigh’s physio spent the next two minutes desperately trying to alert referee Marcus Griffiths that Leigh needed to take O’Brien from the field for a HIA, however, those efforts were to no avail. Instead, O’Brien, who was understandably keen to play on, returned to the action and proved essential in Leigh’s try.
Pressure on Leigh now
With a record of just one win from their opening four, albeit a very tough first four fixtures that saw them face off against Leeds, St Helens and Wigan, the Leopards are now in a worrying position on the table.
Injuries are a valid excuse but being beaten and outworked by a Catalans side who were accused of giving up by their own coach last week is a major alarm bell moment.
Perhaps more disappointing for Adrian Lam would be the number of penalties and rash errors made.
Ill-disciplined Leigh
A week after being blitzed by Wigan and finding themselves condedin plenty of penalties as they fatigued, Leigh were again very ill-disciplined but this time it was in the first half.
Back to back penalties, including one on the sixth tackle when Lachlan Lam blocked off the kick chase, allowed Catalans good territory from which they scored their first try. There were also criminal penalties conceded whilst in possession as they had rare attacks, all allowing for Catalans to establish themselves in the game.
Ultimately, that came back to bite Leigh who were simply too tired to complete the comeback.
Injury issues
Both teams came into this game with major injury issues but Catalans’ issues got worse within the warm-up as veteran winger Tommy Makinson had to pull out.
A knee injury ruled him out but it provided an opportunity for young French international Leo Darrelatour, who was influential in Lewis Dodd’s try with the winger breaking free to make 70 metres before play caught up and Dodd scored.
Nightmare travel
In a week where news about Castleford’s travel to and from Toulouse has made the headlines, it was confirmed that Les Dracs actually had a nightmare journey of their own on the way to Leigh.
Sky Sports’ Jenna Brooks confirmed before the game that it had taken Catalans over 16 hours to make it to Leigh as their plane had to make an emergency landing on the way due to a mechanical fault on the plane.
Took them 16 hours to get here due to a mechanical fault on the plane, had to make an emergency landing on the way.
⏱️𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘!
🐆 Leopards 16-22 Dragons 🐉 pic.twitter.com/sqLqOLCOy0
— Leigh Leopards (@LeighLeopardsRL) March 6, 2026
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