Warriors lose in Golden Point to the Leopards

• Match Report as Wigan Warriors fall to defeat against Leigh Leopards in Round 1 of Betfred Super League.
• After a scoreless 80 minutes, Gareth O’Brien’s successful drop goal attempt saw Leigh win after Golden Point.
• FT | Wigan Warriors 0-1 Leigh Leopards.

Match Report as Wigan Warriors fall to Golden Point defeat against Leigh Leopards in the opening round of the 2025 Betfred Super League.

Limited opportunities for both sides throughout the clash saw it scoreless at the end of normal time, with a Gareth O’Brien Golden Point drop goal the difference as Leigh took victory in the Battle of the Borough.

The Warriors looked to have scored the game’s only try when Jai Field used his pace to run past multiple Leopards and dive over in front of the South Stand, but video referee Jack Smith gave a No Try for a ball steal in the build-up. A valiant effort from the Cherry and Whites saw them twice contend with 12 players as Liam Farrell and Adam Keighran were shown yellow cards, but ultimately it was Leigh who would come out on top after 82 minutes.

Report

The two sides were ready to rumble as the legendary Michael Buffer introduced the Battle of the Borough to over 20,000 in attendance at The Brick Community Stadium, with Leigh kicking off having won the coin toss.

Wigan worked through their opening sets before a teasing kick from Harry Smith caused Keenan Brand to concede a goal-line dropout under pressure from Liam Marshall. Working the ball from right to left, the Warriors kept the pressure on with the resulting possession as Jake Wardle made an effort for the corner, but he knocked on upon trying to ground the ball with his back to the try-line.

Despite Matt Peet’s side being firmly in control of the territorial battle, the following 10 minutes were fairly uneventful. A big carry from Junior Nsemba got the sell out home crowd off their feet, but their side were happy to manage the early exchanges by pinning the Leopards back.

That was until the 15th minute of the action, when a break from Jai Field put the Cherry and Whites well within striking distance. After Adam Keighran had come close to getting beyond the Leigh line, Kruise Leeming would stab a kick through to Luke Thompson. The forward got his foot on the ball and dived for it, but ran out of room in the in-goal area before he could ground for the score.

The near miss was perhaps a wake-up call for Leigh, who would make a break of their own with arguably the best chance of the first quarter of the game. David Armstrong wriggled out of two tackles to get behind the Warriors defence 10 metres out, but Wardle was back and alert to intercept the full-back’s pass intended for the supporting attackers on his right.

The Wigan and England centre was living up to his reputation as one of the nation’s best, with two excellent showings of defence on a dangerous set from Leigh with 10 minutes to go before half-time. After a loose pass from the Warriors, Adrian Lam’s side were handed a set of six in front of the South Stand, but a big hit from Wardle – who then combined with Marshall on the left edge in defence – stopped the attack in its tracks.

Momentum would shift back to the Cherry and Whites as a driving break from Wardle allowed Bevan French to look to stamp his presence on the match with a trademark weaving run through the Leigh defence. The Australian breezed past multiple Leopards before passing to Leeming, with the ball eventually finding Tyler Dupree in front of the posts. The prop dummied left before making an effort for the line, but he would be halted short to end a fantastic attacking move on the final tackle.

With neither side able to capitalise on limited opportunities throughout the first 40 minutes, this cagey affair was scoreless at the break.

Just 30 seconds after Smith got the game back underway kicking off towards the South Stand, Liam Farrell called Betfred Super League’s first ever Captain’s Challenge on a penalty against the Warriors, who were adjudged to have stolen the ball off Leigh. Despite Farrell feeling the carry in the tackle was loose, his appeal was unsuccessful.

With positive metres hard to come by for the Warriors in the second half’s early exchanges, Leeming did an excellent job of driving his side forwards from dummy half. One instance would allow the Cherry and Whites a chance to break down the left flank, but Field was unable to find the pass to Wardle or Marshall in support as the set then came to an end.

The Warriors were looking to build on it, though, and a high bomb of a kick from Smith being knocked on by Brand would give them an opportunity to do just that. The scrum was worked to the right where a clever no-look kick through from French looked destined for the path of Farrell, but he was unable to navigate his way through a number of Leigh defenders off the ball. In frustration, the Warriors skipper kicked the ball away as Leigh were awarded a 20m restart, for which he was sin binned by referee Liam Moore.

Despite being down to 12, a fumble from Edwin Ipape saw Wigan back with the ball in hand and on the front foot. An electric run from Field saw him evade not one, but two defenders before diving over for what looked to be the opening score of the game in front of a jubilant South Stand, but the initial change of possession was ruled to have been a ball steal on Ipape by the video referee, who gave a No Try.

The Leopards would look to capitalise on Farrell’s absence trying and testing the Warriors defence, with Tesi Niu charging towards the left corner where space had opened. Out of almost no where, that space was completely eliminated by a fantastic effort from Zach Eckersley, who came up with a huge tackle to muscle Niu into touch.

With just over 15 minutes to go, the Warriors supporters would be encouraged by not only the return of Farrell to the action but also the introduction of Patrick Mago, replacing Thompson who had put in a gruelling shift for his side. The pair would both be almost immediately involved in the action, with a typical strong carry from Mago followed minutes later by a piece of quick thinking from the skipper, who intercepted a slow play the ball by Jack Hughes to regain possession for his side, who had been looking under threat.

With the Warriors in possession on the left and looking to create something, Brad Dwyer ripped the ball from Wardle’s grasp in the tackle. Despite a Captain’s Challenge from the Leopards on the decision of a knock-on, the call stood after a review from the video referee. With a fresh set of six, Matt Peet’s side looked to break the deadlock one way or another, but were unable to on this occasion. The scoreless affair looked destined for golden point with both Smith and Lachlan Lam clearly considering drop goal attempts, but neither half-back found themselves in position to pull the trigger.

Despite just minutes remaining of normal time, Marshall somehow found the energy to make a brilliant carry up towards half-way to start a Wigan set, which would continue deep into Leigh territory. Working the ball from left to right, Smith looked for the run of French with a well weighted kick, but Lam just got a fingertip on it to prevent what looked to be a certain try. In the aftermath, a late shot from Keighran would see him sent to the sin bin.

With seconds left on the clock, Leigh looked to capitalise on the man advantage with a last gasp effort to tee up a one-pointer, but the Warriors stood firm in their defence to send the game to golden point.

The 12 Cherry and Whites would be the first to have possession in Golden Point, but Peet’s side couldn’t make anything of a high kick from Smith, which ended up back in Leigh hands. Unfortunately, it would prove to be their only opportunity to take something from the affair.

Making positive metres and working the ball inside, Gareth O’Brien’s successful drop goal attempt took victory for the Leopards after 82 minutes.

Gallery:

Wigan Warriors: Jai Field, Zach Eckersley, Adam Keighran, Jake Wardle, Liam Marshall, Bevan French, Harry Smith, Liam Byrne, Kruise Leeming, Luke Thompson, Junior Nsemba, Liam Farrell, Kaide Ellis.

Interchange: Patrick Mago, Tyler Dupree, Harvie Hill, Tom Forber.

18th Player: Sam Walters

Sin Bins: Farrell (53′), Keighran (79′).

Leigh Leopards: David Armstrong, Keanan Brand, Tesi Niu, Umyla Hanley, Josh Charnley, Gareth O’Brien, Lachlan Lam, Owen Trout, Brad Dwyer, Robbie Mulhern, Frankie Halton, Ethan O’Neill, Isaac Liu.

Interchange: Jack Hughes, Alec Tuitavake, Matt Davis, Edwin Ipape.

18th Player: Aaron Pene.

Drop Goals: Gareth O’Brien (82′).

Referee: Liam Moore

Attendance: 21,748