Leigh Leopards secured their best-ever Super League finish with a clinical 28-10 victory over St Helens at Leigh Sports Village.

Leigh Leopards took a 12-0 lead at the break through Andrew Badrock and a flying-finish from Keanan Brand, Gareth O’Brien converting both.

Owen Trout and Curtis Sironen both had efforts ruled out respectively, with Edwin Ipape seeing yellow just two minutes out from half-time for a high shot on opposition number Daryl Clark.

With Ipape off the field after half-time, St Helens hit back through Kyle Feldt and Harry Robertson bringing the score to a tense 12-10.

However, Leigh then motored on with tries from Jack Hughes, Owen Trout, and Ipape, sending their fans wild in the bouncing stadium.

The win for the Leopards keeps them in the hunt for a third-place finish, while it means Saints are consigned to fifth spot for the play-offs.

It once again leaves St Helens with more questions than answers on their best spine and now they have a further injury issue as they lost Alex Walmsley to a failed HIA.

Elsewhere, Wigan Warriors secured at least a second-place finish with a 62-6 domination over Castleford Tigers.

Leigh secure slice of history as they make sure of a home play-off bout

In what was always going to be an electric atmosphere, the Leigh Sports Village was loud as two teams targeting big play-off runs battled, the opening 10 minutes seeing them go back and forth as nothing separated them.

However, Leigh then came to life once again through their talisman Lachlan Lam who held onto the pass to the final moment that sent Bailey Hodgson through the gap, passing onto Andrew Badrock to score and give them a 6-0 lead.

They then thought they were over again through Trout but as the try was ruled out for double movement, it didn’t take too long as they went over again in the 24th minute.

As penalties got them on Saints’ line, they shifted it out to the left edge and Percival and Cross were bamboozled with Brand diving over as he has done so many times this season, O’Brien converting once again for a 12-0 advantage.

Saints finally thought they had got their breakthrough moment as Curtis Sironen picked up a bouncing high kick, but it was ruled out for Tristain Sailor’s offside involvement, O’Brien then missing a penalty conversion attempt that would have put the home outfit more than two converted tries in front.

The final flash point of the half saw Ipape walking for a high shot on Clark, St Helens having numbers but Harry Robertson unable to finish off the pass that would have got them within one try on the stroke of half-time.

With Ipape still off the field, St Helens made sure to score early in the second half as Kyle Feldt and Harry Robertson went over and brought the scoreline to a tight 12-10, Mark Percival converting the first.

However, Leigh managed to find the extra gear they needed as they took the game out of Saints’ hands, Hughes the first to go over as he grubbered a kick through on the 58th minute.

It then just took eight minutes for Ipape to barrel over from short range, Bailey Hodgson taking on the kicking duties as they moved 24-10 ahead.

The final blow then came in the 75th minute as Trout was the first to pounce on a grubber kick, O’Brien shockingly missing the kick but the 28-10 victory sealed for what is Leigh’s best ever finish in the Super League era.

Lam: We are on the right trajectory | Wellens: We are not where we need to be

Leigh Leopards head coach Adrian Lam:

“Just about the performance tonight I thought it was a tough game and one that we needed.

“Both teams had a lot to play for and I thought at times we were outstanding.

“It is just about us and growing who we are and what we do both on and off the field.

“It is our fourth year back in and we have climbed the ladder every time to a higher position.

“The trajectory of the club is in the right direction.”

St Helens head coach Paul Wellens…

“It is frustrating, disappointing, it is the reality of where we are at at this moment in time collectively.

“Individually we have got to take responsibility for that and look to make the improvements we have obviously got to make.

“Quite clearly, if you look at the last three results, we are not where we need to be if we want to be successful this year.

“The reality is we have conceded 28 points tonight and that is not good enough and not our standard.”

Wigan blitz Castleford to ensure top two finish

Wigan secured a top-two finish and a home semi-final in the play-offs after they hammered Castleford 62-6 in the penultimate round of the regular Super League season.

As third-placed Leeds were stunned by Catalans Dragons at Headingley on Thursday, Wigan went into Friday’s home clash knowing a win would see them secure at least second and book a week off while the teams who finish between third and sixth battle it out in the first round of the post-season.

The Warriors put on a show at the Brick Community Stadium, running in 11 tries against a Castleford side that has nothing left to play for, with the Tigers having just six wins to their name from 26 matches this term.

Wigan boss Matt Peet opted to rotate his squad following last week’s derby win over St Helens, with Abbas Miski, Jack Farrimond, Patrick Mago and Tyler Dupree replacing Adam Keighran, Harry Smith, Liam Farrell and Liam Byrne.

And the game was all-but over at half-time, with the Warriors 34-0 ahead thanks to tries from Miski, Jai Field, Liam Marshall (2) and Farrimond.

Peet’s side posted five further efforts in the second half through Miski, Harvie Hill, Zach Eckersley, Field and Ethan Havard, while Muizz Mustapha scored Castleford’s only try.

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