After spending 2022 in the Betfred Championship, Leigh are back in Super League with a brand new moniker after a rebranding exercise over the winter saw them renamed as the Leopards, owner Derek Beaumont´s favourite animal.
Leigh have spent big on players and have every intention on shrugging off their ´yo-yo´ club reputation and maintaining their position in the topflight for the foreseeable future and many pundits think that their current squad will be up to the task.
Tonight´s round one fixture at the Leigh Sports Village saw them taking on near neighbours the Salford Red Devils who are under the stewardship of Paul Rowley who continues to build and improve his understated outfit.
It had been a high octane start to the game in a great atmosphere, but it took twenty-one minutes for the Leopards to open their account when a perfect long miss-out pass from Lachlan Lam found Josh Charnley in space wide left to slide over in the corner. Zak Hardaker had the kicking duties but pulled his kick just wide of the near upright.
Six minutes from the interval the Red Devils were back on level terms after a good period of pressure. Salford skipper Kallum Watkins hit a Brodie Croft ball at speed on the Leigh ten metres line to brush off two tacklers and drop over the line to ground. Mark Sneyd added the conversion to nose his side ahead as the interval loomed.
Ninety seconds from the half time hooter Andy Ackers found the smallest of gaps to go through with a scoot from dummy half to score under the sticks from five metres out. Sneyd was again on target and a deficit with six minutes to play was turned into an eight-point advantage.
Just under ten second half minutes had elapsed when Ryan Brierley was the beneficiary from another great Croft pass on the twenty metre line with the full-back putting down the gas to sprint under the sticks to score. Sneyd added the conversion for 18-4, Salford were spoiling the Leopards Super League return party.
A Josh Charnley break for seventy metres looked like it would earn Leigh their second try but a great tackle from Brierley stopped him short. Sneyd joined in the tackle and held on too long incurring the wrath of referee Smith who brandished the yellow card.
Lachlan Lam was close to getting the second Leigh try on fifty-eight but was dragged down short. A fast play the ball allowed Joe Wardle to put in a grubber kick but as Jack Hughes chased down the ball he was bundled over by Kallum Watkins. The referee sent the decision up as a penalty try and the video referee agreed. Zak Hardaker added the extras for 10-18.
A dangerous tackle in the closing seconds gave Sneyd the opportunity to end the game with a penalty goal and seal a 20-10 win, Tom Amone being yellow carded for his indiscretion as the final hooter sounded.
Leigh came out of the blocks well and dominated the opening thirty minutes with the Red Devils barely able to get their hands on the ball, but the visitors bided their time and gradually wore down their hosts to take their opportunities as they came along for a confident first win of the season.
Leigh Leopards: Hardaker (G), Briscoe, Chamberlain, Leutele, Charnley (T), O´Brien, Lam, Amone (SB on 80), Davis, Mulhern, Wardle, Holmes, Asiata. Subs: Nakubuwai, Ipape, Hughes (PenT), O´Donnell. 18th Man: Reynolds.
Salford Red Devils: Brierley (T), Sio, Cross, Lafai, Williams, Croft, Sneyd (4G, SB on 56), Dupree, Ackers (T), Vuniyayawa, Watkins (T), Stone, Partington. Subs: Gerrard, Ormondroyd, Atkin, Wright. 18th Man: Bourouh.
Half-Time: 4-12.
Full-Time: 10-20.
Score Progression: 4-0, 4-4, 4-6, 4-10, 4-12: HT : 4-16, 4-18, (SB), 8-18, 10-18, (SB), 10-20 : FT.
Lead Exchanges: Leigh – Square – Salford.
Referee: Jack Smith.
