York secured a convincing 38-14 victory over fellow relegation‑watchers Toulouse at the LNER Community Stadium, thanks in large part to a spectacular hat‑trick from Scott Galeano. The win marked York's third triumph of the Betfred Super League season and snapped a five‑match losing streak that had spanned all competitions. The Knights opened the scoring early when Paul Vaughan, who was celebrating his 35th birthday on the day, powered his way under the posts for a try.
A second attempt in the corner was disallowed because the ball was not properly grounded, but Vaughan’s momentum continued to trouble the visitors. Within the first twenty minutes Vaughan crossed the line a second time, and Cody Hunter’s reliable conversion pushed York ahead to 12-0.
Toulouse responded after about thirty minutes when Thomas Lacans displayed quick footwork, cutting back inside and touching down to get the French side on the scoreboard. However, the momentum quickly swung back to York as Australian winger Scott Galeano dived into the right corner for his first try of the afternoon, taking the halftime lead to 18-6.
The second half saw York extend their dominance. At the 55‑minute mark, Jesse Dee chased a high kick, was driven into the advertising boards, and managed to hook the ball back, setting up an easy grounding for Galeano, who added his second try of the night. Kieran Buchanan then crossed for another try, cementing York’s control of the match. Cody Hunter added a penalty goal shortly after the hour mark, bringing the score to 32-6.
Toulouse, who had been sitting at the bottom of the table on points difference behind York, fought back with a try in the 66th minute. Henry O'Kane showed considerable power, grounding the ball despite being held up by two York defenders, reducing the deficit to 32-12. York finished the game strongly.
With eight minutes remaining, Galeano completed his hat‑trick, sealing his personal tally at three tries and pushing the final score to 38-14. Toulouse managed a late consolation try when Mathieu Jussaume burst through the defense, but it was too little, too late, as the French side suffered their seventh league defeat of the campaign. In other action on Thursday night, the Leigh Leopards delivered a solid performance against the Huddersfield Giants, winning 30-16. Josh Charnley, celebrating his 400th appearance, scored two second‑half tries, taking his Super League try count to 263 and moving within five of the all‑time record held by Ryan Hall.
AJ Towse also contributed a brace of tries, while Innes Senior added another and Lachlan Lam earned a penalty try. Huddersfield’s points came from tries by Adam Swift, Taane Milne and Jacob Gagai. The Giants remain joint‑bottom of the table, level with Toulouse on four points, while Leigh climbed to eighth place. The latest Super League table reflects York’s upward movement after this win, while Toulouse continues to struggle near the foot of the standings.
Fans can continue to follow the league via Sky Sports, which will broadcast every match live this season, offering two exclusive live games each round and coverage of the remaining fixtures across its channels. Overall, the night highlighted York’s attacking prowess, particularly through Galeano’s clinical finishing, and underscored Leigh’s depth and experience as they push for higher positions in the league.
Both matches provided plenty of excitement for supporters and set the stage for the next round of Super League action.