WRAP: 2023 Betfred Super League Round 25

AJ Lucantonio and Rugby League Project combine to bring you a wrap of Round 25 of the UK Super League.

All listed times are AEST (NSW/QLD/VIC/ACT).

RELATED: See the full list of 2023 Betfred Super League Draw and Results.

Wakefield Trinity 10
Catalans Dragons 18

Venue: Be Well Support Stadium, Wakefield
Date: Saturday 9 September 2023 at 4:30am

Wakefield Trinity (10)
Tries: Kelepi Tanginoa, Lee Kershaw
Goals: Max Jowitt 1/1, Mason Lino 0/1

Catalans Dragons (18)
Tries: Tom Johnstone, Tom Davies, Adam Keighran
Goals: Adam Keighran 3/4

Wakefield (Trinity): Jowitt, Senior, Griffin, Croft, Kershaw; Lino, Gale; Atoni, Hood, Battye, Proctor, Ashurst, Pitts. Int: Kay, Tanginoa, Fifita, Eseh.
Catalans: Mourgue, Davies, Keighran, Romano, Johnstone; Tomkins, Pearce; McMeeken, McIlorum, Navarrete, Whitley, Séguier, Garcia. Int: Bousquet, Da Costa, Chan, Ma'u.

Wakefield's chances of avoiding the drop appear to be slim to none after falling by 18-10 to Catalans.

Catalans dominated the match and if it wasn't for two late tries, it would've been another score-less outing for the home side. A familiar face came back to bite when Tom Johnstone crossed, diving on a Sam Tomkins grubber after just 7 minutes of play. Adam Keighran's goal crossed the uprights for a 6-0 lead.

Ten minutes later, Keighran collected some early ball and capitalised on some poor defence. He beat four Wildcats on his way to the line and with his conversion it was 12-0. That would be our score as the teams turned to the sheds for the break, and for Wakefield it was 40 minutes to save their chances of being relegated.

It was a lethargic second half, with both sides being guilty of squandering chances, and the seconds kept ticking down the clock as Wakefield were stuck on 0. That's been a familiar theme this season for the home side. Fortunately, Tom Davies crossed for the visitors after 62 minutes. Keighran's conversion missed, but he atoned with a penalty goal seven minutes later.

Wakefield did cross for tries, but they came in a quick period where the game was over. Kelepi Tanginoa crossed when Mason Lino drew in the defence and found his back-rower charging into a gaping hole for an 18-4 score. The consolation final try came to Lee Kershaw when he intercepted Keighran's pass to score and reduce the gap to 8 as they appear certain to be relegated.

Huddersfield Giants 18
Hull KR 26

Venue: John Smith's Stadium, Huddersfield
Date: Saturday 9 September 2023 at 4:45am

Huddersfield Giants (18)
Tries: Jermaine McGillvary, Sam Halsall, Will Pryce
Goals: Jake Connor 3/4

Hull Kingston Rovers (26)
Tries: Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Kane Linnett, Jordan Abdull, Louis Senior
Goals: Brad Schneider 5/6

Huddersfield: Pryce, Halsall, Marsters, Naiqama, McGillvary; Connor, Lolohea; Ikahihifo, Peats, Ashworth, Hewitt, Livett, Yates. Int: O'Brien, Wilson, McQueen, Greenwood.
Hull KR: Walker, Senior, Opacic, Kenny-Dowall, Hall; Lewis, Schneider; Kennedy, Parcell, King, Keinhorst, Linnett, Hadley. Int: Abdull, Litten, Storton, Luckley.

Hull KR have rebounded nicely winning their third game on the run beating Huddersfield by 26-18.

It was a fast start by the home side with future NRL star Will Pryce taking the ball from the scrum and turning on the jets after 7 minutes. Pryce ran close to 50 metres untouched to score the opening try and the score was 4-0. Huddersfield knocked over a quick penalty goal to get the margin at a converted try.

After a lull, Rovers captain Shaun Kenny-Dowall charged over. SKD beat three of them to the line and although the grounding wasn't the best, the try was awarded and levelled the scores. Brad Schnieder knocked over a penalty goal to give Rovers a narrow lead. With 7 to go before the break, Jordan Abdull fooled them all out of dummy half to score and it was a comfortable 14-6 lead lead for Rovers at the change of ends.

After the break, it was experienced man Kane Linnett that gave the away fans something to cheer about. Mikey Lewis provided a great pass and Linnett crashed through the space for a 20-6 lead. The Giants hit back when Jermaine McGillvary crossed. McGillvary scooped up the low pass and beat the cover to score a vital try out-wide and it was a 20-12 game.

Rovers eventually sealed it with just under 10 minutes to play. It had a touch of controversy when Schneider ran behind his own player and took advantage to pass and find Louis Senior to cross outwide. Despite the valid complaints, Tom Grant pointed to the spot. Sam Halsall crossed with just 5 minutes to play to give the Giants hope, but a late penalty goal sealed the win for Rovers by 26-18.

St Helens 22
Leigh Leopards 12

Venue: Totally Wicked Stadium, St Helens
Crowd: 13428
Date: Saturday 9 September 2023 at 5:00am

St Helens (22)
Tries: Thomas Makinson 2, Jonny Lomax, Joe Batchelor
Goals: Mark Percival 3/4

Leigh Leopards (12)
Tries: Robbie Mulhern, Oliver Gildart
Goals: Ben Reynolds 2/2

St Helens: Welsby, Makinson, Percival, Davies, Bennison; Lomax, Dodd; Lees, Roby, Knowles, Mata'utia, Batchelor, Bell. Int: McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Royle, Delaney, Mbye.
Leigh: O'Brien, Briscoe, Chamberlain, Hardaker, Gildart; Reynolds, Lam; Amone, Ipape, Mulhern, O'Donnell, Hughes, Davis. Int: Mellor, Halton, Nakubuwai, Wardle.

St Helens have drawn level with Wigan and Catalans at the top of the Super League ladder downing Leigh by 22-12.

It was a frantic start to the clash as Leigh opened the scoring after just 9 minutes of play. It was quick hands down the blindside which saw Gareth O'Brien find Oliver Gildart to cross in the corner. Ben Reynolds converted from touch for a 6-0 lead.

Saints responded 8 minutes later. Mark Percival's pass set Tommy Makinson away down the wing, finding Jonny Lomax in support on his inside who found Joe Batchelor before getting it to Makinson again alone on the wing, to stroll over for the first score of the game. Percival levelled the scores up. Both sides struggled for ascendancy and the scores were level at 6-6 at the main change of ends.

Saints capitalised with two tries in a ten minute period following the break. In the 51^st minute, a bomb from Lewis Dodd was spilled by Leigh, James Roby recovered and worked up field before giving a wonderful offload for Makinson to cross for his second try. Seven minutes later, Dodd turned provider again by finding Lomax to extend the margin to 12.

Leigh hit back to set-up a grandstand finish. Edwin Ipape found Rob Mulhern who crashed over underneath the posts. Reynolds' goal made it 18-12. Saints secured the match with less than 10 to go. James Bell charged close to the line and was able to offload to ball to Batchelor who dove over from close range. Saints had a two-score lead as we entered the final two minutes. Percival added an extra two points for a well deserved victory.

Castleford Tigers 29
Hull FC 12

Venue: Mend-A-Hose Jungle, Castleford
Crowd: 7947
Date: Saturday 9 September 2023 at 5:00am

Castleford Tigers (29)
Tries: Jason Qareqare 2, Jordan Turner, Greg Eden, Alex Foster
Goals: Gareth Widdop 4/6
Field Goals: Blake Austin 1

Hull FC (12)
Tries: Adam Swift 2
Goals: Darnell McIntosh 2/2

Castleford: Widdop, Qareqare, Turner, Broadbent, Wallis; Eden, Austin; Watts, Johnstone, Mustapha, Mellor, Edwards, Westerman. Int: Griffin, Massey, Robb, Foster.
Hull FC: Litten, Swift, Scott, Tuimavave, McIntosh; Lovodua, Hoy; Fash, Houghton, Taylor, Lane, Savelio, Cator. Int: Brown, Dwyer, Satae, Staveley.

The Castleford Tigers have all but secured safety for another season with a comprehensive 29-12 victory over Hull FC.

It was a fast start for the home side when Jason Qareqare crossed after quick hands saw him break away. He was able to beat the cover to score after just three minutes. Gareth Widdop converted from out-wide for the early lead. 

Not to be outdone, Hull hit back 8 minutes later courtesy of Adam Swift. A well worked set play saw the Cas defence scrambling and the winger crossed out-wide. Darnell McIntosh levelled the scores up at 6-6. Following a scrum, Tex Hoy's pass was intercepted by Qareqare who sprinted 90 metres untouched to score for the home side.

That intercept proved to be a turning point in the game. Castleford would pick up a late try before the break to give the home side an 18-6 lead at the main change. Greg Eden pounced on a grubber that was spilled in-goal when Hoy and Liten collided in the in-goal.

The second half began frustratingly for both sides, failing to get the break-throughs they needed to get the match in their favour. Tired of waiting, Blake Austin knocked over a field goal in the 64th minute to expand the lead beyond two possessions. Off the back of that field goal, Eden collected the ball and grubbered ahead and it was Alex Foster who had the pace to ground it. 

Hull grabbed a consolation try when Swift collected his second try. He ran from dummy-half exposing some poor defence and crossing out-wide. The conversion reduced the gap to 25-12. However, Castleford had the last laugh when Jordan Turner crossed with five to play to seal a convincing 17 point win and their survival in 2023.

Leeds Rhinos 0
Wigan Warriors 50

Venue: Headingley Stadium, Leeds
Crowd: 12861
Date: Saturday 9 September 2023 at 11:45pm

Leeds Rhinos (0)

Wigan Warriors (50)
Tries: Jacob Wardle 3, Liam Farrell, Jai Field, Liam Marshall, Abbas Miski, Kai Pearce-Paul
Goals: Harry Smith 7/9

Leeds: Hooley, Fusitu'a, Newman, Martin, Handley; Gannon, Sinfield; Oledzki, O'Connor, Holroyd, McDonnell, Walters, Smith. Int: Donaldson, Lisone, Johnson, Ruan.
Wigan: Field, Miski, King, Wardle, Marshall; French, Smith; Ellis, O'Neill, Byrne, Pearce-Paul, Farrell, Smithies. Int: Powell, Nsemba, Mago, Dupree.

The Wigan Warriors have put 50 on the Leeds Rhinos and their third score above 50 for the year as they cemented their top spot on the ladder.

Wigan opened the scoring after a tight opening 15 minutes of play. Jake Wardle crossed for the first of his hattrick when he collected Matty Smith's high kick. Jai Field grounded the ball to score in the 22^nd minute and despite the ref ruling no try, the video ref overruled his middle man to award the try.

Wardle soon turned provider providing silky hands finding Liam Marshall who sped over unchallenged in the corner. When Wardle added his second shortly before the break, the home fans began to make their frustration known booing their side off the park shortly after Matty Smith landed his third goa.

Morgan Smithies reacted very quick to scoop up the charge down and send incoming Newcastle Knight Kai Pearce-Paul over for Wigan's fifth. James Donaldson's low drive over the line was penalised for a forward pass and Wigan continued to exploit their opposition, with Wardle completing his hat-trick then Abbas Miski cutting in for his side's seventh.

They were still not done, Farrell and Patrick Mago also crossing late on before Smith's final kick brought up the 50, and led to the final whistle being blown on Leeds' finals chances. They were roundly booed off Headingly by their disgruntled fans.

Salford Red Devils 24
Warrington Wolves 20

Venue: Salford Stadium, Barton-upon-Irwell
Crowd: 6252
Date: Sunday 10 September 2023 at 9:45pm

Salford Red Devils (24)
Tries: Brodie Croft 2, Ben Hellewell, Sam Stone
Goals: Marc Sneyd 4/4

Warrington Wolves (20)
Tries: Ben Currie, Matty Nicholson, George Williams
Goals: Stefan Ratchford 4/4

Salford: Brierley, Sio, Cross, Lafai, Burgess; Croft, Sneyd; Singleton, Ackers, Ormondroyd, Hellewell, Stone, Atkin. Int: Vuniyayawa, Dixon, Addy, Bourouh.
Warrington: Dufty, Thewlis, Mata'utia, Ratchford, Ashton; Williams, Drinkwater; Mikaele, Walker, Vaughan, Currie, Nicholson, Harrison. Int: Clark, Kasiano, Dudson, Crowther.

A golden try by Sam Stone in the opening period of golden point has secured a 24-20 victory for Salford keeping their play-off chances alive.

Warrington players were keen to impress new coach Sam Burgess watching in Sydney. They started with intent and crossed after just two minutes of play. Matty Nicholson collected a Josh Drinkwater grubber which was spilled in the in-goal by Joe Burgess to score. Stefan Ratchford converted for an early lead.

Salford hit back twenty minutes later after near chances went begging. Deon Cross had a try disallowed, penalised for a double movement, and Ken Sio twice tested Warrington's left edge defence. It took a delightful pass to sent Ben Hellewell into a yawning gap for the equaliser. Marc Sneyd converted for a 6-6 score-line.

Eight minutes later, Ratchford spilled the ball in his own end and Salford took the lead. Chris Atkin set up Brodie Croft to stroll over. The video ref denied the Wire before the break when Josh Thewlis' boot touched the line and they trailed 12-6 at the break. 

The second half was a tense affair with both sides claiming the momentum at stages of the match. However, it wasn't sustained enough for the full 40 minutes of the second period. George Williams' kick was dropped by Sio and was scooped up by Ben Currie to cross. Ratchford converted and we remained level. Ratchford added a further long range penalty goal to recapture the lead at 14-12.

Salford refused to surrender. Croft grabbed a fortunate second try 15 minutes from full-time. However, Warrington hit back four minutes later, Matt Dufty broke through before off-loading to Williams to cross and it was 20-18.

A late penalty was awarded to Salford for an offside play when Gil Dudson was involved. Sneyd converted and it was 20-20. Golden point showcased tense, survival style footy as these sides needed a win for their finals lives. Sneyd's attempt at field goal in the 83^rd minute rebounded back into play before Stone proved the unlikeliest of match winners keeping their finals chances alive. 

Table after Round 25

RELATED: Click here to view the current Betfred Super League table.

Top Tryscorers
Tom Johnstone (25)
Josh Charnley (25)

Top Pointscorers
Harry Smith (188)
Stefan Ratchford (188)