Leigh Leopards delivered a dominant performance, thrashing St Helens 48‑10 and ensuring that the Saints miss the Super League play‑offs for the very first time in their storied history. The victory, combined with Hull Kingston Rovers’ 36‑6 demolition of Huddersfield, locked in the top‑six positions for Leeds Rhinos, Wigan Warriors, Warrington Wolves, the Leopards and the Rovers. As a result, St Helens slip to seventh place, ending their campaign without a chance to fight for a Grand Final berth and marking the club's lowest finish ever in the Super League era. The Saints’ failure to qualify for the post‑season is a historic low point, the first time they have missed the play‑offs since the 1964‑65 season.
The disappointment follows a turbulent year that saw head coach Paul Rowley dismissed after less than twelve months in charge. Looking ahead, the club will welcome Australian national coach Kevin Walters in 2027, hoping his experience can restore the former four‑in‑a‑row champions to their former glory. Meanwhile, in East Hull, Willie Peters enjoyed a fitting farewell as Hull KR clinched a play‑off spot with a convincing win over Huddersfield.
The 47‑year‑old coach, who guided the Rovers to a historic treble last season and a World Club Challenge title, will depart at the end of the season to take up a role with the new PNG Hunters franchise in the NRL. The match at the Progress with Unity Stadium was supposed to be a simple task for St Helens: secure a win and keep their slim play‑off hopes alive. Early chances fell away through sloppy handling and a thin bench, allowing Leigh to seize the initiative.
The Leopards quickly established a rhythm, with Josh Charnley capitalising on a well‑placed kick to score, celebrating his contract extension in the process. Innes Senior then broke through the left edge, and a swift pass to David Armstrong resulted in a second try, giving Leigh a 12‑0 lead within the first fifteen minutes.
St Helens responded through a series of set‑piece moves. Tristan Sailor delivered a flick pass to Jacob Douglas, who dived over in the corner, and shortly after, Sailor’s incisive run to the left set up Harry Robertson, whose dummy and break led to a try finished by the fullback. The conversion brought the score to 12‑10, but Leigh reclaimed the advantage three minutes later when Senior again attacked the left flank, this time finding Umyla Hanley in a gap left by Matty Evans. The try, followed by a conversion, extended the lead to 18‑10.
Before the break, Edwin Ipape’s speculative pass found Adam Cook, who kicked it through the posts for a penalty, and a subsequent try from Cook after a short‑range run pushed the halftime score to a comfortable 24‑10 in Leigh’s favour. The second half deteriorated further for St Helens. Veteran centre Percival was sin‑binned for a high tackle, prompting a chorus of applause from the Saints supporters as he announced his retirement at season’s end.
With the Saints down a player, Ipape powered over from close range, and Cook’s conversion stretched Leigh’s lead to 30‑10 with just fifteen minutes remaining. Leigh’s defence continued to dominate, allowing Hanley a second try despite three Saints defenders converging on him.
Jacob Alick‑Wiencke added another, and Cook’s reliable boot turned it into a conversion, pushing the score to 42‑10. In the final minutes, rain poured down as Robbie Mulhern, playing his 100th game for the Leopards, crossed for a try, sealing a 48‑10 victory and cementing Leigh’s place among the top six.
Hull KR’s own triumph was equally emphatic. The Rovers, defending Betfred Super League champions, dispatched Huddersfield 36‑6, confirming their play‑off berth. Despite the victory, Hull KR will not enjoy a home tie in either of the two initial play‑off rounds. Early first‑half tries from Elliot Minchella, Arthur Mourgue and Jack Broadbent halted a three‑match losing streak and demonstrated that, even without the influential Mikey Lewis—who is set to return from suspension for the final regular‑season game—the side still possesses the firepower that carried them to a historic treble last season.
Elsewhere, Huddersfield, having shaken off the label of perennial under‑achievers with a strong run of five wins in six games under Jim Lenihan, travelled to East Hull only to suffer a heavy defeat. In a separate fixture, Toulouse overcame Hull KR 44‑30 in France. Henry O’Kane shone for the hosts with two tries, while Cesar Rouge contributed a try, six conversions and two penalties, securing a decisive win in the final home game of the season. Hull’s fightback was sparked by two tries from Lewis Martin and a post‑break double from captain Aidan Sezer, but Toulouse answered with two second‑half scores of their own, sealing the result.
Hull’s next challenge will be an away clash against Leeds Rhinos in the final round of the regular Betfred Super League season. The season’s concluding matches saw O’Kane open the scoring with a sixth‑minute try, followed by a second after a 15‑minute pass to teammate Luke Polselli and a close‑range effort from James Roumanos. By halftime, the score was a staggering 30‑0 after Paul Ulberg crossed for a try set up by Mathieu Jussaume.
In the second half, Martin and Sezer—who also added five conversions—finally got Hull on the board, with Logan Moy narrowing the gap to 30‑16 before the hour mark. Rouge responded eight minutes later, and an Olly Ashall‑Bott try with six minutes remaining put the comeback beyond reach. Overall, the final round of fixtures highlighted the shifting dynamics within the Super League, with traditional powerhouses like St Helens experiencing unprecedented setbacks, while emerging forces such as Leigh Leopards and Hull KR solidified their positions in the play‑offs.
The upcoming play‑off series promises high‑stakes encounters, and fans can look forward to every match being broadcast live on Sky Sports, with additional games available via Sky Sports+.