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Round 23 Round Up

6 hrs

The Final Charge kicked off in Round 23!
Warriors closed the gap on the Rhinos
Saints kept their Final Charge alive
Giants climb off bottom spot

The Final Charge officially got underway on Thursday night, and it began in dramatic fashion with a triple-header that delivered another major twist in both the League Leaders' Shield race and the battle for the Play-Off positions.

The headline result came at AMT Headingley where Leigh Leopards ended Leeds Rhinos' unbeaten home record in 2026, producing a gutsy 20-16 victory to throw the top of the table race wide open once again.

Leeds had not tasted defeat at home all season and looked on course to maintain that record when Ryan Hall crossed early on his return to the side. But Adrian Lam's Leopards, who arrived in West Yorkshire having already won seven of their previous eight league matches, responded brilliantly.

Super League's current all-time top try scorer Josh Charnley continued his remarkable campaign by scoring once more to take his tally up to 280 tries, before Innes Senior grabbed a first-half double. Umyla Hanley's score shortly after the restart, followed by some heroic Leopards defence ultimately proved decisive as Leigh secured a result that strengthens their grip on a Play-Off place whilst simultaneously giving their top-four ambitions another significant boost.

The Rhinos pushed hard for a late leveller and thought they had rescued the game through Hall, only for the effort to be ruled out. Brad Arthur's side remain top of the table for now, but the door has been left open for other teams with just four regular rounds remaining.

Wakefield Trinity failed to take advantage of the Rhinos' defeat on Saturday afternoon as they fell 16-34 to a desperate St Helens side. The Saints knew they needed to come away with victory if they were to keep their Play-Off hopes alive and 34 unanswered second half points ensured they did just that.

Tristan Sailor was the star of the show for the visitors crossing for a hat-trick and providing a try-assist. Lewis Murphy scored a spectacular acrobatic double against his former side whilst Jake Davies also notched a brace late on. Debutant Billy Keeley also scored in the second half marking a memorable moment for the youngster.

Daryl Powell's side had gone into the break 16-12 ahead thanks for tries from Tyson Smoothy, Jack Sinfield and Isaiah Vagana however they did lost Vagana to a dislocated shoulder in the act of scoring.

Whilst Trinity failed to close the gap on the leaders, Wigan Warriors didn't miss their opportunity with a 6-34 win at Bartercard Odsal Stadium against a struggling Bradford Bulls. The victory marked the Warriors' 11th consecutive Super League victory.

Jake Wardle scored twice whilst Bevan French and Adam Keighran were on the scoresheet alongside young duo Taylor Kerr and Kian McDermott who both scored their first tries for the Warriors.

Meanwhile, Hull KR kept the pressure on the teams above them with a victory over Catalans Dragons at Sewell Group Craven Park, ensuring the fight for home advantage in the Play-Off Eliminators remains a close one ahead of their rearranged fixture with the Wolves on Tuesday night.

Jack Broadbent crossed twice in the opening half as the Robins established a commanding advantage, with Jez Litten and Joe Burgess also finding their way over.

Catalans briefly threatened through Charlie Staines and Tommy Makinson, but Willie Peters' men always looked in control. Tyrone May's second-half score ensured a fourth consecutive win (28-10).

At the Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington Wolves kickstarted their Final Charge with a convincing 30-10 victory over York Knights.

Sam Burgess' side have quietly been building momentum at exactly the right time and have made it four wins from their last five Super League fixtures. The Knights, who have made a habit of troubling the competition's leading sides in recent weeks, made an ideal start through Paul McShane, but the Wolves gradually took control.

Josh Thewlis, Sam Stone, Ewan Irwin, Danny Walker and Arron Lindop all crossed as the Wolves underlined their credentials as genuine contenders for a top-four finish, as well as turning up the heat in the race for the top two.

With the Robins and the Wolves separated by the finest of margins and a huge meeting between the two clubs looming next week, every point could prove crucial.

Huddersfield Giants climbed off bottom spot with their 10-26 win at Toulouse Olympique.

Jim Lenahan's men raced into a 6-22 lead at the break with Sam Halsall scoring twice. Joe Greenwood and Connor Wrench also crossed in a dominant first half display by the Giants. Brendan Hands' try had briefly pulled the hosts level after ten minutes.

Mathieu Jussaume scored late on for the French outfit but two additional penalty goals from George Flangan staved off any hopes of a late fightback.

On Friday, Castleford Tigers produced a spirited team performance away at Hull FC to claim their third win of the season.

The Tigers overcame any adversity they had been facing in recent weeks, and scored tries through Renouf Atoni, Mikaele Ravalawa and Liam Hood, which was enough to come up with a gritty and determined victory.

The Black & Whites fell short on home soil, despite scores via Joe Batchelor, Harvey Barron and Lewis Martin (14-18).

Betfred Super League Round 23

Thursday 13 August