Both Leigh Leopards and Wakefield Trinity are chasing history as they meet once more in the Super League Eliminators. A win earns a place in the semi-finals, while defeat sends the side home for good. The fixture gets under way at 8pm on Friday, September 18, broadcast live on Sky Sports.
The teams meet again after an earlier encounter during the regular season, which went the other way for Wakefield. That clash gave Wakefield the win, but the format now is different, and it changes everything.
Leigh’s record since returning
After a spell away from Super League, Leigh came back to the competition in 2023, and they have been among its most exciting teams ever since. They claimed the Challenge Cup and made it to the Super League semi-finals. Now they face their biggest test yet: the Grand Final at Old Trafford.
Throughout their time in the top flight, the Leopards have shown consistency. It is their cup record that has made them stand out from the rest.
Wakefield’s climb
Wakefield’s rise has been steady. They were promoted back to Super League in 2025, finishing sixth, and this season they moved up to fourth, the highest finish in the club’s history. Reaching the semi-finals for the first time would be the next milestone.
The man at the centre of the club’s rise is Daryl Powell. Year by year he has pushed the team towards better results, and this campaign’s fourth-place standing shows most plainly that Wakefield can now hold its own against the very top sides in the division.
The game plan stakes
Sky Sports spoke with Joe Ofahengaue, a key player for Leigh, who explained why this rematch matters so much to him.
“It was a weird one. I thought the game shaped out to be all in Wakefield’s favour,” Ofahengaue said.
I am not pointing to how the game was called. I simply believe we got our game plan wrong.
A couple of blunders in our own defence were exploited, yet the gods of the sport have shown mercy and granted us another attempt.
If we manage to put our game plan together, I believe we can make a real statement in these play-offs.
The markers below refer to direct quotations and figures taken from the source text, presented exactly as they appear there, each exactly once:
- “Making it to the Grand Final would mean everything. I am banking on it.”
The season carries an emotional cost, and he acknowledged it. Several key members of the squad are departing at the end of this campaign, and he hopes to see them leave on a high note.
“I am very emotionally attached to this squad. We have some key members of this squad leaving after this year and I want to send them out on a high note.”
We can only give our team a triumphant send-off by taking the trophy ourselves.
“I don’t want to look too for ahead or picture myself too far ahead but it is definitely a great goal of ours to reach Old Trafford.”
Powell’s warning
Daryl Powell, the Wakefield head coach, is aware of the peril his team faces. He believes Leigh will increase their energy when the two sides meet again.
“I would expect Leigh to step up intensity-wise,” Powell told Sky Sports.
I believe they’ll move up a notch. I told the guys that I don’t think you can expect that game to set the terms for what happens this week.
We feel we can play better actually, so we have just got to reset ourselves and go again.
We are discussing improvement from one season to the next. We placed sixth overall, and we did not believe we gave our best in the play-off match against Leigh in 2025.
This year brings us back against the same opponents, and it offers a small chance at redemption. A real top four team has to reach those semi-finals and put itself in position to get to the Grand Final.
“It would be an awesome thing for the club. If we can do that, we will be pretty excited.”
The message from Powell is plain: Wakefield has a chance to settle an old score. The 2025 play-off loss remains a wound, and Powell views this campaign as a way to correct that failure.
What the match means for both clubs
Both sides know what is at stake here. Leigh winning means they reach the semi-finals and keep their Grand Final chances alive. Wakefield winning would mean they enter the semi-finals for the first time in the club’s history.
Sky Sports is airing the match live, and the complete schedule can be found at skysports.com.
The wider play-offs picture
Wakefield’s match opens the weekend schedule at 8pm on Friday, September 18, with Warrington Wolves taking on Hull KR shortly after, kicking off at 5:30pm on Saturday, September 19.
The semi-finals follow on September 25 and 26, with Leeds Rhinos vs TBC at 8pm on Friday, September 25, and Wigan Warriors vs TBC at 5:30pm on Saturday, September 26. The Grand Final is set for October 3 at Old Trafford.
The road to Trafford
Either club making it to the Grand Final would mark a significant accomplishment.
A semi-final showing this campaign would return Leigh to contention, having fallen short at that level previously. For Wakefield, who have never reached the last four, a maiden semi-final would mark a significant milestone for the club.
Both sides understand that the road is thin, and there’s room for only one to advance. A single victory carries you onward, while a single defeat closes the book on the season entirely. That weight is precisely what makes these contests so gripping.
Who wins this one
Leigh’s form book has pointed to them as a steady presence since they returned to the top flight, where they have been the more consistent side, and their cup pedigree suggests they handle knockout football better than most.
This season, Wakefield have already gone against what people expected of them. Finishing fourth was not something anyone predicted, and the steady improvement they have shown year after year under Powell points to more surprises to come.
The result hinges on how well each team carries out its plan. Leigh must get their scheme working properly, something Ofahengaue pointed out. Wakefield, for their part, need to start over and improve their performance, as Powell noted.
The upcoming fixture will put nerve, skill and preparation to the test, with Leigh holding the advantage. Yet Wakefield have proven time and again that they can hold their own against any opponent.
What to watch for
Whether Leigh can match the level of play they showed earlier in the campaign is the main issue here. Wakefield will look to take advantage of any errors, yet they recognise the standard of the side they face.
This fixture will be judged by resolve as much as ability. Each club holds players with a score to settle, and the setting will draw out their finest work.
Sky Sports will show the game live, and viewers can find the complete schedule on skysports.com.
This Eliminator promises to be another close contest, with both Leigh and Wakefield holding grounds for confidence and dread in equal measure.
This contest serves as a reminder of how tightly packed the league’s standings remain, with teams frequently trading places. Such games continually show what the competition can produce.
A second meeting gives both sides an opportunity to do something they have not done before. Leigh could reach the Grand Final for the very first time, while Wakefield could reach the semi-finals for the first time. One of these ambitions must be realised, because the result of this fixture will determine which dream becomes reality.
The stakes could not be higher.
See the video the story is built around at Skysports.
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