York secured a convincing 38-14 triumph over fellow relegation‑battle companions Toulouse at the LNER Community Stadium, thanks in large part to a spectacular hat‑trick from Scott Galeano. The win marked York's third success of the Betfred Super League season and snapped a five‑game losing streak that had spanned all competitions. The Knights got off to a promising start when Paul Vaughan, who was celebrating his 35th birthday on the day, powered his way over the try line under the posts early in the first half.
A second early opportunity, a try scored in the corner, was disallowed because the ball had not been properly grounded, but the early pressure was enough to set the tone. York quickly extended the lead when Vaughan crossed again just minutes later. Cody Hunter added the conversion, pushing the home side ahead 12-0 after only 20 minutes of play.
The early dominance gave York a psychological edge and forced Toulouse to chase the game from the outset. Around the 30‑minute mark, Toulouse finally got on the board.
Thomas Lacans displayed quick footwork to cut back inside and touch down, giving the visitors a glimmer of hope. However, the momentum swung back to York when Australian winger Scott Galeano dived into the right‑hand corner for his first try of the night, sending the crowd into a roar and taking the halftime score to 18-6 in York's favour.
The second half opened with York maintaining their intensity. At the 55‑minute point, Jesse Dee chased a high kick, managed to hook the ball back, and was driven into the advertising boards by a cluster of York defenders.
The resulting scramble left Galeano with a simple grounding opportunity, and he seized it, adding his second try of the match. Kieran Buchanan then crossed for another try, further cementing York's control of the contest. Hunter slotted a penalty shortly after, bringing the tally to 32-6 just after the hour mark. At this stage, York appeared to be cruising, while Toulouse, who had been bottom of the table on points difference behind the Knights, were struggling to find any foothold.
Toulouse managed to claw back a second try in the 66th minute when Henry O'Kane displayed impressive strength, grounding the ball despite being held up by two York players. The effort gave the French side a brief morale boost, but York's defense held firm for the remainder of the game.
In the closing stages, Galeano completed his hat‑trick with a try scored eight minutes from full‑time, sealing the victory for York. Toulouse added a late consolation score when Mathieu Jussaume burst through the defensive line, but it was too little, too late, as the French side suffered their seventh league defeat of the campaign. Beyond the York‑Toulouse clash, Thursday night featured another notable result.
Leigh Leopards overcame Huddersfield Giants 30-16, with veteran Josh Charnley delivering two second‑half tries. The performance marked Charnley's 400th appearance and took his Super League try count to 263, leaving him just five tries shy of Ryan Hall's all‑time record.
AJ Towse also contributed a brace of tries, while Innes Senior added one and Lachlan Lam secured 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's win lifted them to eighth place. The weekend's fixtures also highlighted the continued partnership between the Super League and Sky Sports, which will broadcast every match live throughout the season, with two games per round shown exclusively and the remaining five streamed on the network each week.
Overall, York's comprehensive win, anchored by Galeano's hat‑trick and a solid all‑round performance, not only halted their recent slump but also provided a crucial three points in the battle to climb out of the relegation zone. The Knights will look to build on this momentum in the coming weeks, while Toulouse must regroup quickly to avoid further slide down the table.