Leigh Leopards have always been big rivals to Wigan Warriors but they are starting to rub other teams up the wrong way largely due to the fact they are now looking like they could be a successful side after their Challenge Cup triumph over Hull KR at Wembley in the first final final without Leeds Rhinos, Warrington Wolves, St Helens and Wigan since 1986.
One rivalry that seems to be festering is one between them and Champions St Helens after John Asiata’s tackles in the semi-final sparked huge debate after he ended the seasons for Alex Walmsley and Agnatius Paasi.
This led to expectations that Saints would target him as the two teams met and this was echoed by Barrie McDermott on Sky Sports: “I’ve got to try and transport my mind from the 90s and the 00s to the modern day and I think we all agree that the game has moved on and physicality has a benchmark, has a glass ceiling.
“But I don’t know. if I knew a player from an opposition team had ruined the season for one of my teammates then I think I’d take that into the next time I saw them.”
Paul Rowley added: ” The one thing you can’t change in this great sport that we play is emotion and that emotion and that sort of narrative will be definitely spoken about in the, not in a thuggish way but certainly in a retribution in terms of physicality and what they want to do to this team.
“It’s not just that but the fact that they’ve not beaten this team in two occasions so there’s a lot of emotion on this team today definitely.”
They wouldn’t get the chance after he was left out of the side but it was still a physical affair from minute one given the angst between the two clubs going into the game tonight and that created some of the best and most ferocious tackles you will see all season.
Saints heaped the pressure on the Leopards early but after earning a penalty the Leopards went down field and created a superb try with a lovely set pattern move.
They might not have had John Asiata to organise their attack, their spine still linked brilliantly with ben Reynolds popping up on the left edge to feed a sweeping move that was completed by Oliver Gildart, his first of the season. That gave Leigh a 6-0 lead but that was soon wiped out.
The Champions struck from deep with Tommy Makinson freed up down the wing and then the ball was kept alive until it was returned to the winger to score and make it 6-all.
The Saints perhaps should have notched another try before the halftime hooter with the pressure they built but that was repelled brilliantly by Leigh.
Then it was Saints making errors at the start of the second half and Leigh had some chances with Zak Hardaker coming close but being denied by some superb cover defence.
However, Leigh would lament those missed chances when a high kick was dropped by Gareth O’Brien and James Roby pounced scooping up the ball and feeding Makinson for a second.
The Saints would back that up when a nice set play allowed Jonny Lomax just enough space to ease through and make it 16-6.
That looked like it would settle matters but Leigh fired a warning shot with a break down the left before a break from Edwin Ipape and an offload let to a try from Rob Mulhern to make it 16-12.
In the dying stages we saw the teams trade no tries with the Saints denied a penalty try before a Tom Briscoe try was denied for a knock on.
But eventually Joe Batchelor was on hand to win the game.
It was a game that showed that James Roby is still the man for St Helens. He made the difference and showed that it could have been a different story in the semi-final had he played.
It was also a game that was really fiery and showed that these two are becoming fierce rivals.
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