St Helens came from behind to defeat Leigh Leopards in a real show of grit in round two of Super League.
Conceding after just five minutes and then losing Jonny Lomax to injury, it looked like it could be a long night for St Helens but they ended up as 20-18 winners in a thrilling game.
It was a quick start with Leigh breaking from deep before finishing in the corner through Josh Charnley though Daryl Clark hit back soon after. Jackson Hastings then added two from the tee, with those two ultimately proving vital.
Innes Senior and Bailey Hodgson scored to stretch the score before Kyle Feldt’s score on the eve of half time showed signs of the fightback. That would continue with Joe Shorrocks’ score before another Hastings penalty edged Saints in front.
Despite all the back and forth, the game somehow managed to remain 20-18 with Saints grinding it out as Leigh were left struggling to understand how they’d lost.
We’ve picked out some of the key talking points from the result as Saints got their first win of the season.
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St Helens v Leigh Leopards talking points
Saints’ injury curse
After losing Matty Lees (knee) to a long-term injury on the eve of the season, Saints then lost Jack Welsby to a dislocated shoulder in round one. Within five minutes of tonight’s game, they saw Jonny Lomax leave the field and head to hospital with a reported dislocated wrist.
That led to yet more spine reshuffles with Harry Robertson moved to full-back as Tristan Sailor moved back to the halves, however, the reshuffles and injuries weren’t over.
Nene Macdonald suffered a quad injury that saw him leave the field after 20 minutes with the Red Vee now facing the prospect of being without four key stars for period of time.
Harry Robertson
The one person who benefited from Jonny Lomax’s injury was Harry Robertson with the young back starting the game on the bench and then inserted into the action early on.
Having come through the youth system at full-back, it was maybe no surprise to see him fit in that role so well but his strength in the role begs the question of why Paul Rowley didn’t back him from the start.
It’s likely that he will be full-back for the foreseeable and that’s a massive boost for Saints fans who are desperate to see the young talent, who again proved himself on the big stage.
Leigh hurt themselves
All throughout the game, Leigh hurt themselves but no more so than in the first 15 to 20 minutes of the second half as they let Saints back into a game that Leigh should have written off.
Joe Shorrocks scored far too easily after 48 minutes but then a series of errors plagued Leigh, many of which revolved around interchange Liam Horne. The hooker passed out of the dead ball area with Leigh forced to drop out, though they didn’t make the ten metres as they invited more pressure on.
From that moment on, the Leopards struggled to get a true foothold in the game with many of their attacks a result of off the cuff play, which ultimately proved unsuccessful. Perhaps summing it up best was Adam Cook’s pass into touch with just two minutes to go when he tried to find Josh Charnley.
Rowley’s side show resilience
With no Welsby or Lees and then losing both Lomax and Macdonald, thus being forced to use a bench of just two players for the majority of the game, Saints managed to grit it out in a display that shows their faith in Paul Rowley.
After he admitted to his side possibly being over-confident in round one, Saints were honest and hard-working throughout with their game built on effort more than anything else.
With a trip to Catalans next up, they’ll need that once again as they navigate what looks likely to be a tough few weeks given their injury issues.
Redemption for Hastings
Saints were poor across the board in round one but Jackson Hastings was one of those who copped stick given his reputation but also his late sin bin. This week saw a completely different and far more controlled Hastings with his kicking game, particularly given the wind, proving key.
His assist for Joe Shorrocks was a brilliantly executed pass whilst he also nailed two captains challenges that proved critical whilst also kicking four from five off the tee, including two penalties that kept the scoreboard ticking and proved crucially import.
🙌 The Saints win a tight one over the Leopards in our Home Opener!
A dogged performance from our men!#COYS | @LPL_Airport pic.twitter.com/dBJ7QWBWw4
— St.Helens R.F.C. (@Saints1890) February 20, 2026
