Leigh Leopards delivered a crushing 48‑10 victory over St Helens, a result that not only handed the Saints a humiliating defeat but also ensured they missed the Super League play‑offs for the first time in the club's long history. The win, combined with Hull Kingston Rovers' dominant 36‑6 triumph over Huddersfield Giants, locked in the top‑six places for Leeds Rhinos, Wigan Warriors, Warrington Wolves, Leigh Leopards and Hull KR. St Helens consequently finished seventh, ending their season without a chance to contest for a Grand Final berth and marking the lowest point the club has ever experienced in the Super League era.
The Saints' failure to qualify for the post‑season is a historic low; it is the first occasion since the 1964‑65 campaign that they have failed to reach the top‑flight play‑offs. The disappointment follows a turbulent season that saw head coach Paul Rowley dismissed less than a year after his appointment.
Looking ahead, the club will welcome Australian national coach Kevin Walters in 2027, hoping his experience can restore the once‑four‑in‑a‑row champions to a competitive position. In East Hull, the atmosphere was markedly different.
Willie Peters, who has guided Hull KR to a historic treble and a World Club Challenge title, oversaw a decisive 36‑6 win that sealed the Rovers' place in the play‑offs. This match also served as a farewell for Peters, who will depart at the end of the season to take up a coaching role with the new NRL franchise PNG Hunters in 2027.
Despite securing a top‑six finish, Hull KR will not enjoy a home tie in either of the two initial play‑off rounds, a detail that adds a layer of complexity to their upcoming campaign. The match at the Progress with Unity Stadium began with St Helens needing a win to keep their slim play‑off hopes alive. Early opportunities were squandered due to unforced errors, and a thin bench left the Saints vulnerable. Leigh quickly seized control when a well‑placed kick created space for Josh Charnley, who crossed for a try and celebrated his contract extension with the club.
Within two minutes, Innes Senior broke through the defensive line, and David Armstrong's speed proved too much for the Saints, giving Leigh a 12‑0 lead in under fifteen minutes. St Helens responded through a series of set‑piece moves. Tristan Sailor delivered a deft flick pass to Jacob Douglas, who dived over in the corner, and shortly after a spectacular team try saw Sailor pass to Harry Robertson, whose dummy and break led to a try that was converted, narrowing the deficit to 12‑10.
However, Leigh's momentum was relentless. Senior ripped another try on the left edge, this time finding Umyla Hanley, while Matty Evans was forced off by Adam Cook.
The try was followed by a successful conversion, extending the lead. Before the half‑time break, Cook capitalised on a speculative pass from Edwin Ipape, kicking the ball under the posts for a try and converting it, pushing the score to 24‑10 at the interval. The second half began disastrously for the Saints when veteran centre Percival was sin‑binned for a high tackle.
The crowd applauded his impending retirement as a club legend, but the Saints were left a man short. In the ensuing minutes, Ipape powered over from close range, and Cook added another conversion, making it 30‑10 with fifteen minutes remaining. Leigh's defense continued to dominate. Hanley scored his second try after evading three defenders, and Jacob Alick‑Wiencke added a further blow, prompting the home crowd to chant, "Saints are falling apart again." Cook's conversion pushed the tally to 42‑10.
In the final moments, despite heavy rain, Robbie Mulhern celebrated his 100th appearance with a try, and the extra points sealed a 48‑10 rout, leaving St Helens to contemplate a night they would rather forget. Hull KR's victory over Huddersfield also featured notable performances. Elliot Minchella, Arthur Mourgue and Jack Broadbent each crossed for tries in the first half, ending the Rovers' three‑match losing streak.
Although the team still missed the talismanic Mikey Lewis, who is set to return from suspension for the final regular‑season game, the display hinted at the quality that carried them to a treble last season. Elsewhere, Huddersfield, having shed the label of a push‑over after a strong run of five wins in six games under Jim Lenihan, travelled to east Hull and suffered a 44‑30 defeat to Toulouse Olympique in France. Henry O'Kane starred with two tries, while Cesar Rouge contributed a try, six conversions and two penalties, securing the hosts' victory in their final home fixture. Toulouse's dominance was evident as they built a 30‑0 half‑time lead, with Paul Ulberg scoring after a pass from Mathieu Jussaume.
Hull's captain Aidan Sezer and Lewis Martin added tries after the break, but Toulouse responded with two further scores, ultimately sealing a 48‑30 win. Hull's next match will be an away game against Leeds Rhinos in the final round of the regular Betfred Super League season. Overall, the weekend's results reshaped the play‑off picture, confirming the top‑six and delivering a historic low for St Helens. As the season draws to a close, clubs will look to fine‑tune their squads and strategies ahead of the decisive play‑off fixtures, while fans anticipate the drama that the Super League's climax invariably brings.
Sky Sports will continue to broadcast every match live, with two games each round shown exclusively on the main channel and the remaining fixtures available on Sky Sports+.