by Leigh Leopards underlined her position as a title seller of Super League with another explanatory victory, this time in St. Helens in St. Helens, in order to further conclude the gap on the two best of the competition.
A month ago, Leigh collected 50 points in Leeds and with the lines against the league leaders Hull Kr, second-placed Wigan and the saints on the horizon, it was unimaginable to think about whether the leopards could be in a scramble, just to make the play-offs in the last two months of the season.
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Related: Dagnall test extends St. Helens’ winner via Leeds and raises them to third place
However, they have won all three games in order not only to consolidate their position in the top six, but also to assemble an attack on Hull Kr and Wigan above them. Adrian Lam’s team is now only one point behind the Warriors and three behind the Robins after their first victory in St. Helens since 1982.
Against a Saints team who even had the efforts of a top two finish and a home final in the play-offs after winning five games in a row, Leigh was defensively meticulously and clinically than was important at the other. Joe Ofahengaue’s second half tried to seal another conspicuous victory.
Leigh is a championship side three years ago and developed into one of the best clubs in the Super League clubs on and next to the field and is firmly in conversation for the Grand Final. The game has not had the first winner in Old Trafford since Leeds in 2004. Suddenly it is not outrageous to suggest that the leopards could end this waiting.
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The game had all the characteristics of an early sighting of the play-offs. It was extremely intensive from start to finish and they always had the feeling that every point would be decisive. This was emphasized when the Leopards decided twice to end punishments from the trunk of Gareth O’Brien in order to take over a lead of four points at half -time.
In contrast, the saints – who had avoided for the first time in the Super League only through Harry Robertson’s late comfort at home, not to have their arm to the chance instead of taking over separable penalties. This turned out to be fatal because their attack did nothing important to disturb a wonderful defensive effort.
The leopards then hit a decisive blow in the middle of the second half. Since the saints still stutter offensive, teed Edwin Ipape for Ofahengaue, who let three defenders through to give O’Brien a simple conversion to make it 10-0.
Could St. Helens answer? In short, no. They continued to work in the attack without success, and Paul Wellens decided bizarre to use only two of his exchange all evening and to keep Jon Bennison and Leon Cowen on the bench.
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And the victory was secured in the last phases. After a mistake by Kyle Feldt, the ball has found its way to Ofahengaue in recent years, one of several great recruits from the NRL who changed this club, and he crossed the undisputed unchallenged to achieve it. Robertson’s consolation with seconds that were left was not very important with regard to the result.
It was a historic evening on a series of fronts. Records should be broken – and perhaps a first league title since 1982 has not been in question not to question an association that only accounted for the figures a few years ago.
