​Leigh Leopards narrowly held off Castleford Tigers with a 24-18 victory in a pulsating Super League contest, as Leigh strengthened their playoff push. The match swung early in Leigh’s favor when Lachlan Lam and David Armstrong produced two brilliant tries to give the Leopards a 12-0 advantage, despite Castleford’s pressure and momentum building on the run of play.
Castleford responded in style, clawing their way back into contention before half-time. Sam Hall crossed over, followed by Mikaele Ravalawa—who had been named as 18th man earlier in the day—ensuring the Tykes trailed by just six points at the interval. The second half proved to be a tight affair, with Leigh’s Umyla Hanley crossing for a try of their own and Armstrong grabbing his second score to restore a comfortable 12-point cushion for the Leopards.
As the clock ticked down, Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e added a late reply for Castleford, but it was not enough to overhaul Leigh’s lead. The Leopards maintained their grip on seventh place in the league standings, moving to their ninth win of the season from 11 games and remaining just outside the playoff spots on points difference. Castleford, who sit 11th, will rue two overturned tries that could have altered the outcome, marking their fifth defeat in six games.
In the build-up to kick-off, Leigh lined up O’Brien, Armstrong, Senior, Hanley, Charnley, Cook, Lam, Davis, Horne, Brogan, Hughes, Trout, and Liu, with interchanges featuring McNamara, Brown, Ipape, and Vaalepu. Castleford fielded Laulu-Togaga’e, Valemei, Senior, Ravalawa, Qareqare, Asi, Windley, Stimson, Golding, Lawler, Lane, and Mellor, with substitutes Atoni, Ashworth, Hall, and Robb available from the bench. The match official for the evening was Liam Rush, who issued a sin-bin to Senior in the 68th minute, reflecting the contest’s intensity.
This result keeps Leigh’s playoff hopes alive as they continue to chase an end-of-season surge. The Tigers, facing a tough run of form, will be looking to regroup quickly as they aim to climb the table in the weeks ahead. The game showcased Leigh’s resilience and clinical finishing in the first half, combined with Castleford’s refusal to lie down, creating a compelling narrative as the season heads toward its final third.
Key moments included Leigh’s decisive early surge through Lam and Armstrong, Castleford’s counter through Hall and Ravalawa, and Hanley’s second-half effort that steadied the Leopards’ advantage. Laulu-Togaga’e’s late score added drama but could not alter the ultimate result. As the season advances, Leigh will take confidence from securing two critical points against a direct playoff rival, while Castleford will be determined to translate similar spirited performances into a sustained run of results and climb away from the perilous positions on the table.