Challenge Cup winners Leigh host top of the table Catalan

Photo Credit – Adam Clarke

On the Saturday afternoon Catalan Dragons will look to continue their march towards the league leaders shield, but the newly crowned Challenge Cup champions stand in their way.

With just six rounds to go in this enthralling Super League season, Catalan can edge their way even closer to a second league leaders shield in three years.

Meanwhile, the Leopards have not only just created history by winning their first Challenge Cup since 1971, but are well and truly in the fight for that first placed spot, trailing the Dragons by just four points.

It has been a fantastic season for these sides as they both look to become just the fifth club in Super League history to win the Grand Final.

Catalan’s rise over the last few years has been a steady one that saw them narrowly lose out in the Grand Final a couple of years back, whereas Leigh are pushing the boundaries and expectations in their first season back as a Super League club.

The Leopards have made everyone believe that truly anything is possible in rugby league after an unbelievable return to the top division. They’re fourth place in the table, six points above their closest challengers, and four points off top.

With the play-offs a touching distance away, fans will be excited to see just how far Adrian Lam’s men can go.

The visitors will be fired up and confident for Saturday’s game having won three on the bounce to create the largest points gap to second place all season.

Furthermore, they have already overcome Leigh’s spirit and grit twice this season to take four points off the home side. The Dragons consistency has been the deciding factor in elevating them to the top of the pile in 2023.

The Leopards are also in fantastic form, having won six of their last seven fixtures, and will be very confident of a positive result back in front of their home faithful.

All is set for this tie to be a Super League classic, a statement that not many would have foreseen 21 rounds ago.

As for the team news, Adrian Lam has named the same squad that travelled to Wembley last weekend with the addition of new signing Oliver Gildart, who is in line to make his debut against the Dragons.

The hosts 21-man squad is as follows;

1. Zak Hardaker, 2. Tom Briscoe, 3. Ed Chamberlain, 5. Josh Charnley, 6. Joe Mellor, 7. Lachlan Lam, 8. Tom Amone, 9. Edwin Ipape, 10. Robbie Mulhern, 11. Jake Wardle, 12. Jack Hughes, 13. John Asiata, 14. Ben Nakubuwai, 15. Ben Reynolds, 16. Oliver Holmes, 17. Gareth O’Brien, 18. Matt Davis, 24. Kai O’Donnell, 25. Nathan Wilde, 27. Ava Seumanufagai, 31. Oliver Gildart.

The visitors 21-man squad is as follows;

1. Arthur Mourgue, 2. Tom Davies, 3. Adam Keighran, 4. Matthieu Laguerre, 5. Fouad Yaha, 6. Tyrone May, 7. Mitchell Pearce, 8. Mike McMeeken, 9. Micky Mcilorum, 10. Julian Bousquet, 11. Matt Whitley, 12. Paul Seguier 13. Benjamin Garcia, 14. Alrix Da Costa, 15. Mickael Goudemand, 16. Romain Navarrete, 18. Tiaki Chan, 19. Arthur Romano, 24. Tom Johnstone, 26. Manu Ma’u, 29. Sam Tomkins.

 

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