York secured a convincing 38-14 victory over fellow relegation‑battlers 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 in the Betfred Super League and snapped a five‑game losing streak that had spanned all competitions.
The Knights opened the scoring early, with Paul Vaughan—who was also celebrating his 35th birthday—ploughing his way over the line beneath the posts. Vaughan's effort gave York an immediate psychological edge, and although a second try in the corner was disallowed because the ball was not properly grounded, the momentum was firmly with the home side. Vaughan soon doubled his tally, diving over again to make it 12-0 after just 20 minutes, and his teammate Cody Hunter successfully converted the conversion. The early dominance left Toulouse scrambling to find a foothold in a match that quickly turned into a showcase of York's attacking flair.
Around the 30‑minute mark, Toulouse finally got on the scoreboard when Thomas Lacans used his quick footwork to cut inside and touch down. However, the lead was short‑lived; Australian winger Scott Galeano responded with a powerful dive into the right corner, pushing York's advantage to 18-6 at the halftime break. The second half saw York extend their lead even further.
In the 55th minute, Jesse Dee chased a high kick, was driven into the advertising boards, and managed to hook the ball back to Galeano, who was waiting unchallenged to ground it for an easy try. This was the second of Galeano's three tries and widened the gap to a comfortable margin.
Kieran Buchanan then added another try for the Knights, solidifying York's control of the game. Shortly after the hour mark, Hunter slotted a penalty goal, taking the score to 32-6. At this point, the match appeared beyond Toulouse's reach. Toulouse, who had been sitting at the very bottom of the league table—just below York on points difference—refused to give up without a fight.
In the 66th minute, Henry O'Kane displayed considerable strength and determination, powering through a York defensive line to score a second try for the French side. His effort demonstrated that even in a losing cause, Toulouse could still produce moments of quality.
York, however, were not finished. With eight minutes remaining, Galeano completed his hat‑trick, sealing his personal achievement and cementing York's victory.
The final whistle blew with the score at 38-14, and Toulouse managed a late consolation try when Mathieu Jussaume burst through the defense, but it was too little, too late. The French club suffered their seventh league defeat of the season, leaving them entrenched at the bottom of the table.
In other Super League action on Thursday night, Leigh Leopards delivered a dominant performance against Huddersfield Giants, winning 30-16. Veteran winger Josh Charnley, celebrating his 400th appearance, crossed the line twice in the second half, bringing his career try total to 263 and positioning him just five tries shy of Ryan Hall's all‑time record. AJ Towse contributed two tries of his own, while Innes Senior added another, and Lachlan Lam was awarded a penalty try, rounding out Leigh's attacking display. Huddersfield's points came from tries by Adam Swift, Taane Milne and Jacob Gagai, but the Giants could not match Leigh's intensity and remained joint‑bottom of the standings, level with Toulouse on four points.
Leigh's victory lifted them to eighth place, providing a much‑needed boost. The latest Super League table reflects York's climb out of the relegation zone, while Toulouse continues to fight for survival. Fans can stream matches without a contract, and the Bench podcast with Jenna and Jon offers in‑depth analysis. For those seeking tailored sports alerts, options are available to customize notifications.
Sky Sports will continue to broadcast every Super League game this season, with two matches each round shown exclusively live and the remaining five fixtures available on the main Sky Sports channel, ensuring that supporters can follow all the action throughout the campaign.