LEIGH LEOPARDS 26 LEEDS RHINOS 14
DAVE PARKINSON, Progress With Unity Stadium, Friday

LEIGH made clear their intentions for the season with an impressive five-try victory over Leeds.

After third- and fourth-placed finishes respectively in 2025, both of these sides have been backed to make further progress, but it was the Leopards who had much the better of this competitive game.

Leeds had made an encouraging start, dominating field position in the first five minutes and scoring the first points when Chris Hankinson kicked a penalty.

Jarrod O’Connor won a smart penalty and a quick tap and six-again had Leeds flooding forward again before Bailey Hodgson pounced on Lachlan Miller’s kick.

Leigh scored the first try against the run of play in the 15th minute when Edwin Ipape brushed away from a couple of defenders and Bailey Hodgson went down the ground. Lachlan Lam was at his shoulders and a booming pass left brought a try for Innes Senior.

The goal kick was wide from Adam Cook but Leigh led 4-2, and a penalty three tackles into the next set put them in a good ball position, however they squandered it with a poor pass right.

Leeds set up another promising attack in the 24th minute but Ethan O’Neill kicked the ball dead, well ahead of chasing Riley Lumb.

Leigh went down the ground and after an Joe Ofahengaue offload, Ipape was at his shoulder to drive over the line for the Leopards’ second try and Cook goaled for a 10-2 advantage.

Both sides traded errors and with twelve penalties in the first half this was scrappy at times, but Leigh did enough to maintain their lead.

And straight from the restart an error from Lumb was kicked on by Jack Hughes who won the race to touchdown and extend the score to 14-2.

More pressure came the Rhinos’ way when an astute grubber kick from Cook forced an error from James McDonnell and Miller flicked the ball up. Matt Davis thought he had scored and video referee Liam Rush agreed after a lengthy deliberation, with Cook adding his second goal for 20-2.

After those gifts, Cooper Jenkins hauled Leeds back into the contest with an individual run to the line after bumping off a challenge from Jacob Alick-Wiencke, and Hankinson converted.

Moments later Lumb saw a try ruled out after a knock-on earlier in the move, and when Leigh couldn’t hold onto the ball, Leeds roared forward again. Excellent defence on the last tackle saw Harry Newman held on the line.

Newman and Davis were then sinbinned on 58 minutes for an altercation, which came only seconds after riled-up Newman took issue with Tesi Niu.

With less than 15 minutes to go Cook haunted Lumb with a high kick, and three tackles later Lachlan Lam spotted a mismatch to go past two players and score at the side of the posts. Cook’s third goal reasserted the 18-point advantage.

A non-stop defensive effort from Frankie Halton helped the Leigh cause and they were only beaten again two minutes from time.

Numerous set restarts saw Leeds eventually take advantage when Brodie Croft dummied through and Hankinson added his third goal to close the deficit, but Leeds were second best on the night.

GAMESTAR: Edwin Ipape had some great moments at hooker and loose-forward, and his defence at times was punishing.

GAMEBREAKER: Lachlan Lam’s try ensured the league points went to Leigh.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Edwin Ipape’s thunderous tackle that dislodged the ball from the grasp of Kallum Watkins.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Edwin Ipape (Leigh)
2 pts Frankie Halton (Leigh)
1 pt Cooper Jenkins (Leeds)

MATCHFACTS

LEOPARDS
18 Bailey Hodgson
19 Innes Senior
3 Tesi Niu
2 Keanan Brand
5 Josh Charnley
6 Adam Cook
7 Lachlan Lam
12 Owen Trout
9 Edwin Ipape
10 Robbie Mulhern
11 Frankie Halton
15 Jacob Alick-Wiencke
8 Joe Ofahengaue
Subs (all used)
22 Jack Hughes
16 Matt Davis
23 Andy Badrock
17 Liam Horne (D)
18th man (not used)
21 Gareth O’Brien
Also in 21-man squad
4 Umyla Hanley
13 Isaac Liu
26 Nathan Wilde

Tries: Senior (15), Ipape (25), Hughes (41), Davis (48), Lam (66)
Goals: Cook 3/5
Sin bin: Davis (58) – fighting

RHINOS
1 Lachlan Miller
22 Riley Lumb
3 Harry Newman
14 Chris Hankinson
5 Ryan Hall
6 Brodie Croft
27 George Brown
15 Cooper Jenkins
9 Jarrod O’Connor
10 Tom Holroyd
12 James McDonnell
16 Ethan O’Neill
11 Kallum Watkins
Subs (all used)
26 Tom Nicholson-Watton
23 Danny Levi
20 Presley Cassell
25 Ben Littlewood
18th man (not used)
24 Ned McCormack
Also in 21-man squad
28 Fergus McCormack
– Oscar Brown
– Jacob Stead

Tries: Jenkins (52), Croft (78)
Goals: Hankinson 3/3
Sin bin: Newman (58) – fighting

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-2, 4-2, 10-2; 14-2, 20-2, 20-8, 26-8, 26-14

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Leopards: Edwin Ipape; Rhinos: Cooper Jenkins

Penalty count: 8-10
Half-time: 10-2
Referee: Tom Grant
Attendance: 9,603