Round Seven of Super League 2023 got underway with the Battle of the Borough as Leigh Leopards hosted the Wigan Warriors with eighth toaking on third with local bragging rights up for grabs between the two sides located just eight miles apart.
Adrian Lam was facing his past employers as he took on Matt Peet´s side in a game which few were brave enough to call, but the which the bookies were leaning towards an away win having given the Leopards an eight-point start on the handicap coupon.
In front of a record Leigh Sports Village home crowd, a fifty-point win would lift the Leopards above Wigan into third spot, but a win of any kind would see them spend the night in fourth. A win for the visitors would see them up to second in the table, at least until the Dragons play on Saturday evening.
It was the Leopards who opened the scoring on six minutes with fast hands right to Tom Briscoe, the Leigh winger flirting with the touchline and grounding by the corner flag. The crowd were still in raptures when Ben Reynolds added the extras but Leigh had lost the services of Gareth O´Brien, off for a head impact assessment which he later failed.
As the sides lined up for the restart, Jake Wardle was sin-binned for the late hit on O´Brien which had seen him leave the field.
A brilliant Harry Smith 40-20 put the Warriors into great position from which they forced a goal-line dropout.
Three tackles into the return, Bevan French went through a gap to slide over for the Warriors opening points of the game. Smith pushed his conversion attempt wide of the far upright, the gap down to two points.
Sensational defence from Leigh looked to have prevented Jai Field from getting the ball on the ground but after video referee scrutiny it was clear he´d grounded it on a legal second effort to give Wigan the lead. Smith added the conversion for 10-6.
A strange try on forty-four saw Wigan extend their lead. French had a kick charged down which he regained before putting in a grubber which was fumbled by the Leigh defence before hitting Wardle´s legs and being collected by Wardle who dropped over the line to ground. Smith was unable to add the conversion, Wigan ahead by 14-6.
Back-to-back sets for the Leopards in the Wigan twenty saw Edwin Ipape held up over the line but the Warriors defended well and held firm. Wigan then hit Leigh on the counter as the worked the ball down the length of the field with Abbas Miski flying in at the corner. Smith was wide with the conversion attempt, not having a great night with the boot.
A dancing Jai Field won the game for Wigan as he waltzed through a broken Leigh defence on fifty-seven to score under the sticks. Smith was able to add the conversion, this one from directly in front for 24-6.
A delightful grubber from Smith was grounded by Toby King with three minutes remaining for the icing on the Warriors cake as they further stretched the lead. Smith added the conversion to bring up thirty for Wigan.
Seven seconds from the end of the game Miski was on hand to collect a beautiful Bevan French kick to the corner to cross without a Leigh hand on him. Smith was unable to convert but his side had a comprehensive 34-6 win.
Despite still being in touch at the interval, a second half acceleration from Wigan saw them pull away from their hosts and seal a big win without conceding a second half point. There was plenty of control from Field, French and Smith to take the points and pile on big second half points. Wigan up to second in the table, Leigh hoping results elsewhere work out for them this weekend.
Leigh Leopards: O´Brien, Briscoe (T), Hardaker, Leutele, Charnley, Reynolds (G), Lam, Amone, Ipape, Mulhern, Holmes, O´Donnell, Asiata. Subs: Nakubuwai, Seumanufagai, Chamberlain, Davis. 18th Man: Nisbet.
Wigan Warriors: French (2T), King (T), Pearce-Paul, Wardle (T, SB on 8), Miski (2T), Field (T), Smith (2G), Cooper, Powell, Byrne, Isa, Farrell, Smithies. Subs: Ellis, Havard, O´Neill, Shorrocks. 18th Man: Singleton.
Half-Time: 6-10.
Full-Time: 6-34.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, (SB), 6-4, 6-8, 6-10 : HT : 6-14, 6-18, 6-22, 6-24, 6-28, 6-30, 6-34 : FT.
Lead Exchanges: Leigh – Wigan.
Referee: Liam Moore.
Attendance: 9,189.
