Super League: Wigan Warriors clinical in win over Leeds Rhinos as Leigh Leopards clinch third with victory over Huddersfield Giants

Wigan Warriors put in a clinical showing as they pulled off a 22-6 win over Leeds Rhinos in their Betfred Super League clash at The Brick Community Stadium.

It was Wigan who were on top at the half-time interval, converted tries from Abbas Miski and Bevan French putting the home team 12-0 ahead.

They then went on to stretch their lead in some fashion with second scores for French and Miski plus an effort from Jake Wardle making it 22-0.

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Leeds replied through a consolation try for Chris Hankinson but the defeat consigned them to a fourth-placed finish.

Elsewhere, Leigh Leopards beat Huddersfield Giants 30-16 which confirmed then in third spot, their highest Super League finish.

With the regular season now over, the play-offs are confirmed with Leigh taking on Wakefield Trinity and Leeds up against St Helens for a chance to face either Hull KR or Wigan Warriors in the semi-finals.

Wigan show class in clinical contest against Leeds

The opening 15 minutes between two of Super League's giants saw both sides with opportunities but poor hands and penalties let them down despite the good territory flowing.

Wigan then started to take over the possession and the dam was finally broken on the 20th minute as the Warriors went through hands from just 10 metres out, French finding Miski who had space in front to dive over, Adam Keighran converting from the touchline for a 6-0 lead.

It then just took five minutes more for Wigan to go over again this time through a brilliantly-worked team try, the hands on the right edge finding Keighran who broke through then passed back on the inside to send French flying in.

With Keighran sending the extra two points over once again, Wigan were 12-0 ahead and looking comfortable, more chances on Leeds' line coming but scrambling defence stopping them from increasing their lead in the first 40 minutes.

The hosts then came out firing early in the second 40 with everything special coming from French, the Wigan No 6 running a nice line after picking up a bouncing kick to go over on the 43rd minute, Keighran converting once again.

Five minutes later an audacious line from Wardle then saw him walking through, Leeds' defence becoming easier and easier to get through for the Warriors as they went 22-0 in front.

French continued to have his fingerprints over everything but Leeds' defence tightened up as the two sides went back and forth for 20 minutes, the visitors finally getting their moment on the 74th minute as Jack Sinfield went through to send Hankinson sliding over, the former converting to bring the score to 22-6.

Leeds will now head home to face St Helens on September 27, with Wigan getting the luxury of a week off for finishing second.

Peet: I can see we are building, but I would have rather finished top! | Arthur: We need to make most of home tie next week

Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peet:

"Bevan is one of the shining lights of our competition. He just stands out.

"They really did a good job defending against us and they are missing some shining lights so we will keep in context.

"He has developed himself into a leader and he studies the game.

"I would rather we finished top, I am not going to lie about that, but I can see improvement in us and I can see us building."

Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur...

"We weren't fantastic tonight but we tried hard and scrambled well. They are just a very, very good team.

"We have earnt the right to a home final and we need to make the most of it."

Leigh secure third with fighting showing against Huddersfield

Leigh held off a Huddersfield fightback to secure third place in Super League with a 30-16 victory.

The Leopards trailed 10-8 early in the second half after surrendering an 8-0 lead, but tries in quick succession from Bailey Hodgson, Frankie Halton and Brad Dwyer ended the contest at Leigh Sports Village.

The result means Adrian Lam's side will play sixth-placed Wakefield in the first round of the play-offs at the same venue next week.

It also marked the end of Huddersfield's campaign and the career of the long-serving Leroy Cudjoe.

The 37-year-old former England international was playing his 408th and last game for the Giants, who finished 10th in the table.

It was not the way Cudjoe would have wanted to sign off, but in George Flanagan he may have a worthy successor as team linchpin.

The full-back was at the heart of all the visitors' good work, including setting up tries for Lewis Jagger and Jake Bibby in their short-lived comeback attempt.

Salford fans spark protest as Wakefield win big

Salford's crisis-hit Betfred Super League season came to a tumultuous close as they were beaten 52-16 by play-off bound Wakefield amid an acrimonious atmosphere at the Salford Community Stadium.

Fan protests and frequent chants against the club's elusive owners provided the majority of the narrative on a night when the action on the pitch was very much secondary to the implications off it.

Jack Walker's late consolation try for the home side sparked a pitch invasion and a barrage of red smoke bombs, but there was a sense of resignation on the final hooter, which almost certainly marked an end of Salford's top-flight tenure.

"We are awaiting the Match Commissioners report and will discuss on Monday," the RFL told Sky Sports.

The Red Devils are set to be kicked out when IMG's gradings are released next month, shifting the focus to an adjourned winding-up order and in what form the 151-year-old club might continue to exist at all.

Cam Scott crossed for three of Trinity's nine tries and Mason Lino converted all but one of them, but the result had been rendered somewhat irrelevant by Hull's defeat to Catalans Dragons on Thursday night, which confirmed Wakefield's top-six place.

Yet Trinity's win came at a painful price as star full-back Max Jowitt failed a head injury assessment following an accidental clash with his team-mate Tom Johnstone with less than two minutes played, and is now ruled out of their play-off semi-final at Leigh next Friday.

St Helens hold on against Castleford

Winger Kyle Feldt registered 14 points as St Helens ended their regular-season Super League campaign with a nervy 26-24 success over Castleford, their first victory in four games.

Saints - beaten in successive weeks by Hull KR, Wigan and Leigh - almost suffered an embarrassing late collapse against the Tigers.

Leading 26-10 with six minutes to go, they conceded three tries and 14 points, including a hat-trick touchdown from winger Will Tate.

Fortunately for Paul Wellens' side, Tex Hoy could only add one goal from three attempts and Tigers fell short of a seventh league win.

Super League fixtures

Round 27

• Thurs September 18: Hull KR 28-20 Warrington
• Thurs September 18: Hull FC 22-26 Catalans
• Fri September 19: St Helens 26-24 Castleford
• Fri September 19: Leigh 30-16 Huddersfield
• Fri September 19: Salford 16-52 Wakefield
• Fri September 19: Wigan 22-6 Leeds

Knockout stage

Elimination play-offs

• Fri September 26: Leigh Leopards vs Wakefield Trinity- 8pm
• Sat September 27 Leeds Rhinos vs St Helens- 8pm

Semi-finals

• Fri October 3: Wigan Warriors vs TBC - 8pm
• Sat October 4: Hull KR vs TBC - 5.30pm

Grand Final (Old Trafford)

• Sat October 11: TBC vs TBC - 6pm

Watch every Super League game live on Sky Sports. Two matches in each round are exclusively live, with the remaining four fixtures shown on Sky Sports+ via the red button.

(c) Sky Sports 2025: Super League: Wigan Warriors clinical in win over Leeds Rhinos as Leigh Leopards clinch third with victory over Huddersfield Giants