Leigh Leopards clinched a Super League playoff berth in a thrilling encounter against St Helens, determining the final standings of the top six and consigning the Saints to their worst league finish in three decades.
The Leopards were aware that a loss would have left the door open for Catalans Dragons to secure the sixth spot with a victory over Hull. However, Adrian Lam's team managed to keep their composure during an exhilarating night at Leigh Sports Village, setting up a sudden-death playoff match against Salford next week.
For St Helens, the opportunity to finish fourth and secure a home tie in the opening round was within reach, but they ended up in sixth place—their lowest Super League finish ever—and must travel to Warrington next weekend, where defeat will mark the end of their season.
Josh Charnley's late try proved to be the decisive moment after St Helens had rallied from a 12-0 deficit to level the game in the final 15 minutes. The Leopards, who were competing in the Championship just two seasons ago, held on in a dramatic finish to secure a playoff spot for the second year in a row.
St Helens faced an early setback when their hooker, Moses Mbye, sustained a calf injury during the warm-up. His replacement, Jake Burns, helped the visitors gain momentum early on. They thought they had taken the lead when Tommy Makinson scored in the corner, but the try was disallowed due to an obstruction.
The decision against Sione Mata'utia swung the momentum back to the hosts, as did an error from Jack Welsby that handed Leigh a prime attacking position. John Asiata capitalized by forcing his way over the line to break the deadlock.
The Leopards could have extended their lead shortly after when Darnell McIntosh intercepted a Saints pass, but the defense managed to stop the winger. As halftime approached, Saints began to pressure the Leigh line, but the Leopards struck a crucial counter-attack with three minutes left in the half.
A penalty put them in position, and they seized the opportunity. Matt Moylan was released on the left flank, and Ricky Leutele faked his way to the line. Moylan coolly converted the try from the sideline, giving the hosts a 12-point lead.
The lead almost extended early in the second half when Charnley broke away down the left, but his pass to Moylan was off target. The game then swung in favor of the Saints when Leutele was sin-binned for a tackle on Welsby.
During Leutele's absence, Saints rallied to level the scores. Tommy Makinson scored a spectacular try in the corner, and three minutes later, Jonny Lomax assisted Morgan Knowles to score under the posts, with Jon Bennison converting both tries to make it 12-12.
When Leutele returned, so did Leigh's momentum. They regained the lead when Moylan set up Charnley for the match-winning try, securing Leigh's playoff spot despite late pressure from the Saints.
