Wigan Warriors V Leigh Leopards preview: Where to watch, key players, and previous meetings

Matty Peet’s side will be looking to bounce back from their Challenge Cup semi-final defeat to Hull KR, while across the borough the Leythers are planning ahead to a date at Wembley on August 12 following their victory over St Helens.

A boost for the Warriors between now and the end of the season will be the addition of Tyler Dupree from Salford Red Devils.

Here is some of the key information ahead of the week’s match:

The opposition

Leigh have been superb on their return to Super League.

Last season they enjoyed promotion from the Championship, as well as success in the 1895 Cup final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

So far this year, they have won 13 of their 19 league games and currently sit second in the table- just two points behind leaders Catalans Dragons.

They’ve come out on top in 13 of their last 14 matches in all competitions, with their only loss in that time coming against Steve McNamara’s side.

The Leopards head into Saturday’s game on the back of four straight victories, including their 12-10 Challenge Cup semi-final win over Saints at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, with Oliver Holmes and Zak Hardaker both going over.

There was late drama, with Jonny Lomax crossing for a late try.

Tommy Makinson had the opportunity to send the game to golden point, but was unable to successfully add the extras.

It was a tie that will go down in Leigh’s history, and they will be hoping to write another chapter next month.

Key men

Lachlan Lam has been one of the standout players in Super League this season.

The former Sydney Roosters halfback, who joined the Leopards midway through 2022, has been at the heart of a lot of the good things Leigh have done.

He has provided 20 assists this year, with an average of 1.05 per game, as well as scoring seven of his own.

Ex-Warriors winger Josh Charnley has also been in sensational form.

The 32-year-old currently leads the scoring charts in Super League, with 22 tries under his belt.

He’s also the top metre maker- covering a total of 2580.

The coach

Adrian Lam is a familiar face to Wigan fans, having been at the club both as a player and a coach.

After starting his on-field career with Sydney Roosters, he made the move to the North West of England 2001, remaining with the Warriors for four years.

His first job as a head coach came with Papua New Guinea, whom he enjoyed two spells with.

In 2019 he returned to Wigan, and spent three seasons as the club’s head coach- which was longer than he had initially planned.

Ahead of the 2022 campaign he joined Leigh, and guided them to promotion in his first year in charge.

Recent meeting

The two teams went head-to-head at Leigh Sports Village back in March.

Jai Field and Abbas Miski both went over for braces in a 34-6 victory for Peet’s side.

Meanwhile, Bevan French, Jake Wardle and Toby King were also on the scoresheet.

Super League history

Wigan have overcome Leigh on seven occasions in Super League history, with only one defeat to their borough rivals.

Form guide

Wigan Warriors- L W L W W

Leigh Leopards- W W W W L

Potential milestones

Jake Wardle is one game away from making his 100th career appearance.

Throughout his career so far, he has represented the Warriors, England, England Knights, Huddersfield Giants and Warrington Wolves.

Meanwhile, Willie Isa’s next outing will be his 200th game for Wigan.

The second-rower’s debut came against Catalans Dragons back in February 2016.

In the Leigh squad, former Warriors pair Jack Hughes and Joe Mellor are preparing to make their 300th and 100th career appearances respectively.

Where to watch

The game is being broadcast live on Channel 4.

Coverage gets underway at 12.45pm ahead of the 1pm kick off.

Elsewhere this weekend

There’s plenty of action throughout the next few days.

The inaugural Premier Touch Rugby League event is taking place at Robin Park Arena on Saturday.

Joining hosts Wigan are foundation sides from Hull FC, Hull KR, Sheffield Eagles, Wakefield Trinity and Warrington Wolves.

The event gets underway at 10.30am, before taking a break for the Warriors’ Super League game against Leigh Leopards at the DW Stadium.

Things resume at Robin Park Arena at 3.30pm.

Elsewhere, Wigan Warriors Wheelchair reserves are in action against Mersey Storm Wheelchair at Kingsway Leisure Centre (K.O.12pm).

They head into this game on the back of a 48-46 win over Bradford Bulls.

Nathan Roberts was among the scorers as he crossed for five tries.

On Sunday, Wigan’s wheelchair first team are also in action, as they take on Warrington Wolves at Medway Park Sports Centre (K.O. 10.30am).

Meanwhile, the club’s academy side head to the capital to face London Broncos.

The two teams go head-to-head at Richmond Athletic Ground (K.O. 3pm).

Final thoughts

Leigh’s form this year just adds an extra layer of interest to their games with Wigan.

It’s fantastic for the borough to have two strong clubs, and the rivalry will only grow in years to come.

The Leopards are worthy of the noisy neighbour tag, but they’ll be after a whole lot more.

As for the Warriors, they’ll be hurting following their golden point loss to Hull KR, and should certainly be up for the occasion.