Leigh Hold Off Castleford to Boost Play-Off Hopes
David Armstrong increased his try count for the season by scoring twice against Castleford Tigers.
Tries: Lam, Armstrong 2, Hanley
Goals: Cook 4
Tries: Hall, Ravalawa, Laulu-Togaga'e
Goals: Stimson, Asi 2
Leigh Leopards, in strong form, overcame a challenging contest to defeat Castleford Tigers 24-18, enhancing their prospects for the Super League play-offs.
Leigh established an early 12-0 lead with two tries scored against the run of play by Lachlan Lam and David Armstrong.
Castleford responded effectively to level the score by halftime through tries from Sam Hall and Mikaele Ravalawa, who had been promoted from 18th man status earlier in the day.
In the second half, Leigh's Umyla Hanley scored, followed by Armstrong's second try, restoring a 12-point advantage before Phoenix Laulu-Togaga'e scored a late try for Castleford.
Leigh remain seventh in the standings after securing their ninth win in 11 matches, positioned just outside the play-off places due to points difference. Castleford, placed 11th, suffered their fifth defeat in six games and were affected by two disallowed tries.
Match Details and Player Updates
The home team played without an 18th man after losing forward Frankie Halton and full-back Bailey Hodgson. Castleford lost centre Krystian Mapapalangi to a quadriceps injury during the warm-up, leading to Ravalawa's inclusion.
Castleford initially appeared to score on their opening attack with Jason Qareqare finishing near the corner post, but a video review determined the ball had touched the sideline during grounding, disallowing the try.
Shortly after, Armstrong's tactical chip kick bounced favorably for Lam, who completed the move he initiated, extending Leigh's lead.
Leigh capitalized further when Lam's dummy allowed Jack Hughes to break through, setting Armstrong up for a clear run to the try line.
Castleford responded as Hall, coming off the bench, chased down a grubber kick from Daejarn Asi to score.
Leigh experienced difficulty maintaining momentum, conceding multiple penalties deep in their territory amid increasing pressure.
Castleford converted their possession into points just before halftime when Ravalawa powered over in the right corner, with Asi successfully converting from the touchline.
Despite hopes for a first Castleford victory over Leigh since 2021, the Leopards extended their unbeaten streak in this fixture to nine matches after halftime.
Within four minutes of the second half, Hanley accelerated past the defensive line to score from Lam's grubber kick.
Lam contributed again by executing a dummy that created space for Armstrong to sidestep the last defender and score on the left edge.
Castleford were reduced to 12 players when Louis Senior was sin-binned for a high tackle on Armstrong, who appeared to lose balance and fall into the Castleford centre.
Castleford continued to press, but after Qareqare had a second try overturned due to an obstruction call against Alex Mellor, Laulu-Togaga'e broke through to score, setting up a tense final five minutes.
Team Line-Ups
Leigh: O'Brien, Armstrong, Senior, Hanley, Charnley, Cook, Lam, Davis, Horne, Brogan, Hughes, Trout, Liu.
Interchanges: McNamara, Brown, Ipape, Vaalepu.
Castleford: Laulu-Togaga'e, Valemei, Senior, Ravalawa, Qareqare, Asi, Windley, Stimson, Golding, Lawler, Lane, Mellor, Brown.
Interchanges: Atoni, Ashworth, Hall, Robb.
