Just eleven miles separate Rivals Leigh Leopards and the Salford Red Devils as round eight of the competition threw them together for the second time in 2023 as seventh and ninth battled for a place in the top half of the table. A victory for either side would lift them above the Huddersfield Giants into sixth spot, but fifth looked just out of reach as Salford would need a thirty-seven-point win and Leigh would need to win by ninety-three or more.
Salford had been made the slight favourites with the bookies, Leigh being given a two-point start on the handicap coupon, but there was very little to choose between the two sides. The Leopards hoped that home advantage, and all the usual Leopards razzamatazz, would be enough to secure a fourth win for the home side in their first eight outings and get revenge for their loss on the opening weekend of the season.
It was the perfect start for Leigh as Josh Charnley took the pass ten from the line and dived in at the corner for the opening try of the game on five minutes. Ben Reynolds was very wide with his conversion attempt, disappointing the vociferous home support.
A late tackle from King Vuniyayawa gifted Reynolds a penalty and he made no mistake in redeeming himself and knocking the ball between the uprights.
The Red Devils opened their account as Ken Sio chased a Ryan Brierley grubber to the corner to collect and ground on fifteen minutes. Marc Sneyd hit the near upright with his conversion attempt, Salford still two points behind.
A high tackle from Ipape gifted Salford an attacking opportunity and after two set restarts and a goal line dropout, on twenty-two Sam Stone found a gap in the Leopards defence to jink between the defenders and cross from ten metres. Marc Sneyd hit the target with his conversion for a 10-6 lead to the visitors.
On the kick off return a great run from Shane Wright saw Salford advance downfield before he found Brodie Croft in support to canter home from twenty-five metres out. Sneyd hit the target again ad from nowhere the Red Devils had a 16-6 lead.
Kai O´Donnell had a try ruled out on thirty-two for a forward pass which looked a little harsh from the replays, Leigh suffering and going into the interval with a ten-point deficit.
A great break from Edwin Ipape saw the big man close to the line and when Brierley held down in the tackle, he was punished by referee Moore with a ten-minute rest in the sinbin, Salford down to twelve men on forty-eight minutes.
The Leopards were dominating the game as they besieged the Salford line and on fifty-one Tom Briscoe took the ball on the wing and came inside off his right foot to ground in the corner. Reynolds was again wide with the touchline conversion attempt, his side still six behind.
Still a man down, Salford re-established their ten-point lead when Tyler Dupree took a short pass ten from the sticks and shrugged off his tackler to score by the posts. Sneyd added the conversion for 22-10. Leigh needed three converted tries and had twenty minutes remaining to get them in.
On sixty-three Josh Charnley scored a miracle try as he chased his own kick to the corner, went around the corner flag and re-entered play to get a hand on the ball to ground before the Salford defenders. Reynolds missed another conversion attempt, Leigh still eight points adrift.
A bizarre try from Ben Reynolds with thirty seconds left of the clock reduced the margin f the Salford win as he kicked through, got the ricochet, and collected the kick to run in for a score. Reynolds added the conversion for 20-22.
It was a great second half fightback from the Leopards but they came up short of the target that they had been set by Salford, missed conversion attempts by Ben Reynolds being the difference between the two sides. Salford dominated long periods of the game but all credit to Leigh who never gave in chasing the result. It´s two wins for Salford over Leigh in 2023, the Red Devils into the top half of the table, Leigh still in a creditable ninth.
Leigh Leopards: Hardaker, Briscoe (T), Leutele, Chamberlain, Charnley (2T), Reynolds (T, 2G), Lam, Amone, Ipape, Mulhern, Holmes, O´Donnell, Asiata. Subs: Hughes, Seumanufagai, Nisbet, Davis. 18th Man: Wildie.
Salford Red Devils: Brierley (SB on 48), Sio (T), Cross, Costello, Burgess, Croft (T), Sneyd (3G), Dupree (T), Ackers, Vuniyayawa, Watkins, Stone (T), Addy. Subs: Dixon, Hellewell, Atkin, Wright. 18th Man: Longstaff.
Half-Time: 6-16.
Full-Time: 20-22.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 6-4, 6-8, 6-10, 6-14, 6-16 : HT : (SB), 10-16, 10-20, 10-22, 14-22, 18-22, 20-22: FT.
Lead Exchanges: Leigh – Salford.
Referee: Aaron Moore.
