Betfred Super League

Huddersfield (14) 30

Tries: Rushton, Milne, Evalds, Geyer 2 Goals: Flanagan 5

Leigh (6) 18

Tries: Trout, Hanley, Mulhern Goals: Cook 3

Huddersfield Giants scored five tries to topple the in-form Leigh Leopards, leaving the visitors still waiting to secure their place in the Super League play-offs.

Leigh opened the scoring with Owen Trout touching down for the first try of the night. However, Huddersfield quickly responded, with Harry Rushton and Taane Milne both crossing the line, allowing the Giants to take a 14-6 lead at halftime.

After the break, Niall Evalds added another try for Huddersfield. Leigh’s Umyla Hanley and Cole Geyer of the Giants exchanged tries, with Huddersfield maintaining their lead. Robbie Mulhern’s try brought Leigh within striking distance, but Geyer secured the victory for Huddersfield with his second try six minutes before the final whistle.

This win marked the Giants’ seventh victory of the season, with five of those coming in their last six matches, moving them up to 12th place in the standings, just above York, as they prepare for an upcoming match against Toulouse.

Leigh entered the match having won eight of their past nine games, and a win would have confirmed their spot in the top six. Currently, they remain in fifth place, still positioned well to enter the playoffs with two games remaining after St Helens, currently in seventh, lost to Leeds at home.

The opening minutes saw Leigh’s Trout score after catching an up-and-under, putting his team in the lead. Huddersfield answered with a flurry of points before halftime, with Rushton crashing over the line followed by a penalty from George Flanagan. A mistake by Leigh’s Innes Senior allowed Milne to score, giving Huddersfield a strong cushion.

With a 14-6 advantage at the start of the second half, Huddersfield’s Zac Woolford surged from dummy half, assisting Evalds for the Giants’ third try. Leigh had their moment as Josh Charnley set up Hanley for a try on his 100th Super League appearance. However, Huddersfield quickly forced a goal-line drop-out, regaining possession and pushing their advantage further before Geyer’s second try sealed the match.

Leigh head coach Adrian Lam spoke to BBC Radio Manchester:

“It was hard to watch and nothing like we’ve been over the past four months. I thought Huddersfield were great, they were very physical and on point and we knew we were going to come here and have a tough game. We needed to be sharp with high completions and minimum errors and we just came out of that really badly, and it’s the worst we’ve played over the last three-four months.”

Huddersfield: Evalds; Milne, Jagger, Halsall, Zenon; Lolohea, Clune; Powell, Woolford, King, Hewitt, Cozza, Rushton

Interchanges: Rogers, Flanagan, Billington, Geyer

Leigh: O’Brien; Senior, Badrock, Hanley, Charnley; Cook, Lam; Ofahengaue, Horne, Mulhern, Hughes, Trout, Liu

Interchanges: Brogan, Ashworth, Alick-Wiencke, Ipape

Referee: Tara Jones

Betfred Super League

Huddersfield (14) 30

Tries: Rushton, Milne, Evalds, Geyer 2 Goals: Flanagan 5

Leigh (6) 18

Tries: Trout, Hanley, Mulhern Goals: Cook 3

Huddersfield Giants scored five tries to upset in-form Leigh and keep the Leopards waiting to secure their place in the Super League play-offs.

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Leigh scored the night’s first try through Owen Trout but tries from Harry Rushton and Taane Milne helped put Huddersfield 14-6 ahead at half-time.

Niall Evalds extended the lead after the break before Leigh’s Umyla Hanley and Huddersfield’s Cole Geyer exchanged tries as the Giants remained ahead.

Robbie Mulhern’s try kept Leigh alive with 11 minutes to play but Geyer’s second score with six minutes remaining sealed an impressive victory for Huddersfield.

Victory for Huddersfield was their seventh of the season, with five of those victories coming in their past six matches, and moved them up to 12th in the table and above York ahead of their trip to Toulouse.

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Leigh arrived having won eight of their past nine games and victory would have secured their place in the top six.

They remain fifth and are still well-placed to reach the play-offs with two games remaining after St Helens, in seventh, lost at home to Leeds.

The visitors scored the opening try after nine minutes as Trout claimed an up-and-under and reached out to score.

But Huddersfield responded with 14 points in 10 minutes before half-time.

Rushton barged over before George Flanagan kicked a penalty from in front of the posts and then Tui Lolohea’s high kick was spilled by Leigh’s Innes Senior and the ball fell for Milne to run in.

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Leading 14-6 at the start of the second half, Zac Woolford broke from dummy half and found Evalds to score Huddersfield’s third try.

Needing a response, Leigh released Josh Charnley up the right wing and sent Hanley over on his 100th Super League appearance.

But Huddersfield forced a goal-line drop-out that was taken short, Giants claimed the kick and they drove towards the line before Woolford grubbered in-goal for Geyer to dot down.

Leigh kept themselves alive again as they reclaimed the restart, were immediately in behind the defence and sent Mulhern over from the next play.

But they soon knocked on to give Huddersfield field position and Geyer found a gap to slide in for his second try to seal the game.

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Leigh head coach Adrian Lam told BBC Radio Manchester:

“It was hard to watch and nothing like we’ve been over the past four months.

“I thought Huddersfield were great, they were very physical and on point and we knew we were going to come here and have a tough game.

“We knew we needed to be sharp with high completions and minimum errors and we just came out of that really badly and it’s the worst we’ve played over the last three-four months.”

Huddersfield: Evalds; Milne, Jagger, Halsall, Zenon; Lolohea, Clune; Powell, Woolford, King, Hewitt, Cozza, Rushton

Interchanges: Rogers, Flanagan, Billington, Geyer

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Leigh: O’Brien; Senior, Badrock, Hanley, Charnley; Cook, Lam; Ofahengaue, Horne, Mulhern, Hughes, Trout, Liu

Interchanges: Brogan, Ashworth, Alick-Wiencke, Ipape

Referee: Tara Jones