Wigan Warriors warned ahead of Leigh Leopards clash as pundit makes early pick

Friday’s Super League play-off semi-final between Wigan Warriors and Leigh Leopards will be “too hard to pick” ahead of the game according to former Wigan star Sam Tomkins, with Matt Peet’s side warned about the Leopards’ intensity.

All of that intensity was on show this past Friday against Wakefield Trinity as the Leopards blew the visitors away in the early exchanges and whilst the game wasn’t won on the scoreboard at that point, mentally and physically the Leopards had crushed their opponents.

An early Keanan Brand try settled the nerves before Wakefield were forced to defend a full ten minutes inside their own half until Isaac Liu finally broke the dam, which in turn brought more points as the Leopards went 18-0 up before the break.

Wakefield hit back first but they simply couldn’t get a foothold in the game as Leigh’s intensity early on had drained them, with the Leopards even able to rest star man Edwin Ipape in the second half, such was the ease of their 26-10 victory.

That win set up a trip across the borough to face Wigan Warriors and Matt Peet’s side have now been warned of what’s to come, with Sky Sports pundits Jon Wilkin and Sam Tomkins giving Leigh plenty of credit.

Can Leigh Leopards catch Wigan Warriors ‘off guard’?

This time last year, we were in the same position but Leigh travelled to the Brick Community Stadium and got blown away 38-0 but there’s no expectations that will happen again, especially considering Leigh have won two of the three contests this year.

There’s also the factor of Wigan having had a week off whilst Leigh have had a confidence-boosting, albeit potentially fatiguing, win but Jon Wilkin thinks it could favour the Leopards.

Looking ahead too the semi-finals when speaking after St Helens’ incredible win over Leeds Rhinos, Wilkin said: “I think the week off is always an interesting one for me. I thought Leigh’s intensity at the start of the game was incredible. If they come out of the gun like that and just catch Wigan getting a breath or just trying to get into it, then there’s a risk that they can catch Wigan off guard.

“I very much doubt Matt Peet won’t be prepping his team to start in a massive way but I was so impressed with Leigh.”

Wilkin also made reference to that famous win in round one when Leigh travelled to Wigan and won 1-0 in golden point, as he said: “I thought they showed real championship class in round one. We thought it was play-off standard and one of the best games we’ve seen all year.

“Their scramble and their desperation, and tonight, we know the importance of how desperate moments create amazing moments, don’t they? I think that game could well deliver.”

Former Wigan Warriors favourite Sam Tomkins agreed, noting how Leigh effectively won Friday’s game in the opening exchanges as well as how important that period will be this coming Friday.

He argued: “Wigan will notice that they have to start well. Leigh were that destructive in the first 15 to 20 minutes that Wigan can’t dip their toe in.

“They’ve go to go 100 per cent and we’re going to see a war for 20 minutes and it’ll be too hard to pick before the game.”

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