Warrington Wolves 12 - 20 Leigh Leopards
Leigh secured a late win against Warrington in a competitive match, highlighted by three late tries. Both teams were closely matched with their full-strength sides, but Leigh exploited gaps in Warrington's youthful defence, aided by Sam Burgess's deep bench. Warrington's coach noted inconsistency, with flashes of quality but also scrappy play. Their goal-line defence was strong despite facing six-agains.
Leigh's debutants, including the talented Tesi Niu and the dynamic Bailey Hodgson, left an indelible mark on the match, with Hodgson striking first. In response, Warrington drew level through Matty Ashton following a Leigh penalty. The skilled Toby King then wove a magical assist for Jake Thewlis, granting the Wolves a fleeting lead. Yet, penalties became Warrington's Achilles' heel, paving the way for Leigh's Andy Badrock to net the equalizer. Coach Lachlan Lam lauded Badrock and the academy's invaluable contributions, shining a light on the club’s nurturing development pathway. Leigh’s offense surged, with Keenan Brand scoring shortly after a breathtaking defensive manoeuvre from Cai Taylor-Wray, who deftly thwarted a 3-on-1 situation, denying Bailey Hodgson a dazzling try. The final flourish came from Nathan Wilde, who capitalised when Warrington markers switched off at the play the ball, leaving their fans in disbelief.
The Coaches Assessment
Sam Burgess on the game and Oliver Leyland
It was a run-out. The game was okay early – it got scrappy in parts but that’s always the case at this time of the year when you’re making a lot of changes. We did some good stuff, but we did some average stuff as well. He’s (Leyland) a good little player – a cheeky little player with plenty going for him. He’s still working on his game and there’s still so many areas in which he wants to get better, but he’s great to have around. We really enjoy having him in camp
“
Adrian Lam on a bright youthful future
Our plan is to make sure more of these players are coming through our system. We’ve got a pathway now, which is something we haven’t had in the past and it just shows we’re heading in the right direction as a club.
The Final Word
In a dazzling pre-season showdown, both teams shimmer with promise as they approach the upcoming Challenge Cup battles. For Warrington, Oliver Leyland followed his stellar performance against Widnes with a magnificent display, earning the coveted man of the match title for the Wire. A masterfully orchestrated second try, elegantly tucked away in the corner by Thewlis, accompanied by two side-line conversions and a remarkable 40/20, leaves the primrose and blue yearning for nothing more. With Leon Hayes out of action until round 5, Leyland stands poised to seize the moment, making it a formidable challenge for the Warrington Wolves’ number 7 to reclaim his place.
The Leigh Leopards were granted an academy licence for 2025 and have set about assembling some very promising talent indeed with Hodgson very assured as both winger and full back on the night. New signings Tesi Nui, Ethan O’Neill, and Isaac Liu all carried the ball strong throughout the night with Adrian Lam delighted at full time with their efforts. David Armstrong started slow, but grew into the game with a dazzling break down the right edge in the second half bring the #BetheRoar brigade alive, perhaps a glimpse into the future of the highly rated import. The only new signing who we will reserve judgement on is Alec Tuitavake, who remained in the shadows of the new debutants.
The Gladiators who took the Field
Warrington Wolves
1 Matt Dufty
31 Alfie Johnson
4 Rodrick Tai
3 Toby King
5 Matty Ashton
6 George Williams
18 Oli Leyland
10 Paul Vaughan
9 Danny Walker
13 Luke Yates
21 Adam Holroyd
26 Dan Russell
11 Ben Currie
Interchange
15 Joe Philbin
16 Zane Musgrove
17 Jordy Crowther
22 Tom Whitehead
23 Cai Taylor-Wray
24 Max Wood
25 Lucas Green
27 Luke Thomas
28 Jake Thewlis
29 Zac Bardsley-Rowe
32 Nolan Tupaea
34 Ben Hartill
35 Joe Hickey
Try Scorers: Ashton (14), Jake Thewlis (28)
Tale of the Boot: Leyland 2/2
Try Scorers: Simm (13), I Senior (29)
Tale of the Boot: Hoy 1/2
Leigh Leopards
1 David Armstong
18 Keanan Brand
3 Tesi Niu
4 Umyla Hanley
24 Bailey Hodgson
6 Gareth O’Brien
7 Lachlan Lam
8 Owen Trout
16 Matt Davis
14 Aaron Pene
11 Frankie Halton
20 Ethan O’Neill
13 Isaac Liu
Interchange
12 Jack Hughes
15 Alec Tuitavake
26 Kavan Rothwell
17 Brad Dwyer
27 Jack Darbyshire
19 Louis Brogan
28 Brad Martin
21 Andy Badrock
22 Ben McNamara
23 Nathan Wilde
31 Will Brough
29 AJ Towse
30 Ryan Brown
Tries: Hodgson (4), Badrock (67), Brand (72), Widle (76)
Tale of the Boot: O’Brien 1/1, McNamara 1/3
How it went down: 0-6, 6-6; 12-6, 12-10, 12-14, 12-20
Super League Raw Man of the Match - Bailey Hodgson - Leigh Leopards
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