Late Surge Lifts Leigh to Crucial Win in Play-off Race

Dragons Suffer Sixth Straight Defeat Despite Comeback Effort

Leigh Leopards climbed to third in the Betfred Super League after a composed second-half display sealed a 26-12 victory over Catalans Dragons in Perpignan.

Tries from Joe Ofahengaue and David Armstrong in the closing stages punished a Dragons side that had fought back from a 12-point deficit, only to unravel after Tevita Pangai Junior was sin-binned for a late tackle.

Leigh made a blistering start, going 12-0 up through scores from Tesi Niu and Keanan Brand, both facilitated by the influential Lachlan Lam. Catalans responded before the break, Pangai Junior muscling over under the posts before Tommy Makinson’s conversion cut the deficit.

Catalans Falter at Crucial Moments

The Dragons came out firing in the second half, levelling the scores when Makinson finished off a slick move involving Luke Keary and Sam Tomkins. The winger converted his own try but later missed a pivotal penalty that would have given the hosts their first lead of the match.

That miss proved costly. Soon after, Pangai Junior was shown a yellow card for a reckless challenge, and Leigh took full advantage. Gareth O’Brien, who had already landed four conversions, saw a penalty bounce off the upright, but Lam quickly recycled the ball to spark the move that led to Ofahengaue’s try.

Armstrong then broke away down the left to stretch Leigh’s lead, with O’Brien adding the extras and a late penalty to wrap up the win. The result lifts the Leopards a point above Leeds in the race for the play-offs, while Catalans slide further down the table with their sixth straight league loss.

Manager Reactions: Lam Encouraged, Tomkins Reflective

Leigh head coach Adrian Lam praised his side’s ability to seize key moments.

“It was a tough test, but we found a way to win,” said Lam. “We’re in a position we’ve never really been in before—fighting near the top. It’s in our hands now.”

Catalans interim boss Joel Tomkins, though pleased with the team’s spirit, was left frustrated.

“Our attitude and effort were better this week, but we made poor decisions,” he said. “We’re not happy with the result or with aspects of our performance.”