2025 UK Pre-Season Friendlies
28 days ago | LeagueUnlimited Media
Justin Davies wraps up Super League's 23rd round, plus stats from Rugby League Project.
RELATED: See the full list of 2024 Betfred Super League Draw and Results.
Warrington Wolves were 28-6 winners against Castleford Tigers at Mend-A-Hose Jungle on Friday night.
The Wolves recorded their third win on the bounce as they cement their spot in the Super League top two.
It was an inauspicious start for the visitors after Luke Yates was sin binned after high contact on a Tigers player.
Despite being down to 12, Cai Taylor-Wray lit up the game with the opening try. He weaved through five or six defenders to slam the ball down.
Warrington weren't able to get across the stripe again in the first half but they did add a penalty goal through Josh Thewlis for 8-0.
Next, it was mid-season recruit John Bateman that crossed for Warrington. He steamed onto a short pass from Josh Drinkwater to touch down.
Castleford Tigers did get on the scoreboard in the second half. Elie El-Zakhem held off defenders and flicked it to Luke Hooley for 14-6.
The Wolves were in a different class tonight. Danny Walker scooted from dummy half then found Matty Nicholson to score.
George Williams kept the ball alive for the Wolves then it was sent out to Matty Ashton on the wing to go over after video referee adjudication.
It was the other winger that wrapped up the game for Warrington. It was another long pass and Thewlis strolled over.
Castleford Tigers 6 Warrington Wolves 28
Venue: The Jungle, Castleford
Date: Fri, 23rd August. Kickoff: 8:00 PM. Halftime: Warrington 8-0. Penalties: 7-all. Referee: Tom Grant. Crowd: 7,449.
Castleford: Hoy, Qareqare, Hooley, Tate, Senior; Windley, Miller; Watts, Horne, Westerman (C), El-Zakhem, Mellor, Hill. Int: McShane, Namo, Johnson, Hindmarsh.
Warrington: Taylor-Wray, Thewlis, King, Tai, Ashton; Williams (C), Drinkwater; Yates, Powell, Vaughan, Nicholson, Bateman, Currie. Int: Musgrove, Walker, Harrison, Crowther.
Castleford Tigers (6)
Tries: Luke Hooley
Goals: Luke Hooley 1/1
Warrington Wolves (28)
Tries: John Bateman, Matthew Ashton, Josh Thewlis, Matthew Nicholson, Cai Taylor-Wray
Goals: Josh Thewlis 4/6
Leeds Rhinos won 18-6 against Catalans Dragons down at AMT Headingley Stadium on Friday night.
The Rhinos have moved within two points of the Super League top six and could make a late push for finals.
Catalans by contrast have been in quicksand in recent weeks and are the team at risk at dropping out of the top six.
The Dragons were the first side to get on the scoreboard in this game. Arthur Mourgue provided a pass for Arthur Romano to slide over.
The visitors thought they had a second through Mike McMeekan who tapped the ball like an opal card but he was judged to knock on.
Leeds got on the board from a blockbusting Davi Fusitu'a. Paul Momirovski gave the winger a pass and he just powered to the line for 6-4.
The Rhinos quickly hit the front from another break. Lachlan Miller positioned Matt Frawley well for the latter to score.
They were in full flow after that score. Another long break from Rhyse Martin saw Miller in support and stroll away.
Martin added a late penalty goal to round the score out to 18-6 as the Rhinos bounce back and remain right in the hunt for top six.
Leeds Rhinos 18 Catalans Dragons 6
Venue: AMT Headingley Stadium, Leeds
Date: Fri, 23rd August. Kickoff: 8:00 PM. Halftime: Catalans 6-0. Penalties: Leeds 5-3. Referee: Liam Moore. Crowd: 13,050.
Leeds: Miller, Fusitu'a, Momirovski, Newman, Edgell; Croft, Frawley; Lisone, Ackers, Sangaré, McDonnell, Martin, Smith (C). Int: O'Connor, Bentley, Nicholson-Watton, Donaldson.
Catalans: Rougé, Davies, Romano, Smith, Yaha; Mourgue, Fages; Navarrete, Da Costa, Bousquet, McMeeken, Séguier, Garcia (C). Int: Dezaria, Abdesesian, Satae, Laguerre.
Leeds Rhinos (18)
Tries: David Fusitu'a, Matt Frawley, Lachlan Miller
Goals: Rhyse Martin 3/4
Catalans Dragons (6)
Tries: Arthur Romano
Goals: Arthur Mourgue 1/2
Hull KR won 42-6 against St Helens in their game at Totally Wicked Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Robins keep soaring to new heights as they dispatched St Helens and keep their eye on silverware.
Joe Burgess gave Hull KR a flying start after he took a pass from Peta Hiku and tumbled over in the corner.
Things went from bad to worse for St Helens when Waqa Blake was binned then Ryan Hall set up Mikey Lewis for the Robins second four-pointer.
Next, Tyrone May slipped past some defenders to score then Hull KR stripped numbers on the right for Burgess to get a second for 20-0.
Hull KR were in full flow in the first half. Another break created space and Burgess completed a first half hat-trick.
The game followed the same script in the second half. Kelepi Tanginoa crashed over from close range for 32-0.
St Helens got on the board in the second half from the boot. It was punched low and George Whitby picked up the scraps.
It was a day in the sun for Hull KR and Joe Burgess. He finished off another backline move to get his fourth and get into double figures for the season.
The game ended on a sour note for Tommy Makinson. He was sent off after a dangerous tackle right to the head.
Hull KR finished off in style with another four-pointer. Jai Whitbread broke through a tackle and touched down for 42-6.
St Helens 6 Hull KR 42
Venue: Totally Wicked Stadium, St Helens
Date: Sat, 24th August. Kickoff: 3:00 PM. Halftime: Hull KR 26-0. Penalties: Hull KR 6-5. Referee: Chris Kendall. Crowd: 13,588.
St Helens: Robertson, Makinson, Blake, Vaughan, Ritson; Lomax (C), Whitby; Delaney, Mbye, Lees, Whitley, Mata'utia, Batchelor. Int: Paasi, Royle, Burns, Stephens.
Hull KR: Evalds, Burgess, Hiku, Broadbent, Hall; May, Lewis; Sue, Parcell, Whitbread, Hadley, Batchelor, Minchella (C). Int: Litten, Luckley, Storton, Tanginoa.
St Helens (6)
Tries: George Whitby
Goals: George Whitby 1/1
Hull Kingston Rovers (42)
Tries: Joe Burgess 4, Kelepi Tanginoa, Tyrone May, Jai Whitbread, Mikey Lewis
Goals: Mikey Lewis 5/8
Salford Red Devils were 60-10 winners against lowly Huddersfield Giants at Salford Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Devils moved into the Super League top four and they bounced back from their niling at Magic Weekend.
Salford opened up their shoulders early as Jayden Nikorima scooped up a pass then found Chris Atkins to stroll over.
The Giants had Andre Savelio sin binned which gave Salford more space to attack on the edges of the visitors.
Ryan Brierley profited twice from the man advantage. The first was from a Marc Sneyd kick then he finished off a backline move for 20-0.
Nikorima was the next Red Devils to notch up a pair. He started and finished a move for his first then scooted over from close range for the other.
Salford picked up where they left off in the second half. Ethan Ryan picked up the scraps from a kick to dive over in the corner.
They just brushed through the Giants defense like paper mache. Harvey Wilson strolled through a gap to score then Nene Macdonald got in on the party.
Brierley turned provider next. He sliced through and positioned Sneyd to score as the score moved to 54-0.
Huddersfield did get a pair of consolation tries in the second half. Sam Hewitt and Fenton Rogers both got on the scoresheet.
Just to top off a huge win for Salford, Brierley completed his hat-trick with a support run which saw him dive over.
Salford Red Devils 60 Huddersfield Giants 10
Venue: Salford Stadium, Barton-upon-Irwell
Date: Sat, 24th August. Kickoff: 5:30 PM. Halftime: Salford 32-0. Penalties: Salford 6-5. Referee: Marcus Griffiths. Crowd: 3,319.
Salford: Brierley, Ryan, Macdonald, Hankinson, Cross; Nikorima, Sneyd; Singleton, Mellor, Lewis, Wright, Watkins (C), Atkin. Int: Bourouh, Shorrocks, Wilson, Bullock.
Huddersfield: Connor, McGowan, Bibby, Naiqama, Halsall; Lolohea (C), Russell; Hill, Golding, Savelio, Hewitt, Rushton, Cudjoe. Int: Rush, Ikahihifo, English, Rogers.
Salford Red Devils (60)
Tries: Ryan Brierley 3, Jayden Nikorima 2, Marc Sneyd, Nene Macdonald, Chris Atkin, Ethan Ryan, Harvey Wilson
Goals: Marc Sneyd 10/11
Huddersfield Giants (10)
Tries: Sam Hewitt, Fenton Rogers
Goals: Tui Lolohea 1/2
Leigh Leopards won 32-12 against London Broncos down at Cherry Red Records Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Leopards move within a single point of the Super League top six after their recent impressive run of form.
It was the Broncos who struck first. An unorthodox kick found Sam Davis who nudged over after a thorough video review.
Leigh fired back through the boot themselves. Gareth O'Brien kicked for space and Darnell McIntosh was there to touch down.
The tinderbox was lit in the game with both teams having a player binned. John Asiata went for the Leopards while Robert Butler got his marching orders for the Broncos.
Leigh took the lead from another kick. O'Brien punched through a low kick and Frankie Halton was the only player within cooee for 8-6.
The Leopards continued to find success from the boot. This time Ricky Leutele was able to angle himself to ground the ball before the dead ball line.
London fought back in the second half. A short pass found a charging Josh Rourke who went over to make it 12-all.
The Broncos had a spell of possession after levelling to take another lead but were repelled by the Leopards defense.
Leigh then stacked on tries to blow out the scoreline. Kai O'Donnell, Aaron Pene and O'Brien all crossed the stripe for a 32-12 win.
London Broncos 12 Leigh Leopards 32
Venue: The Cherry Red Records Stadium, Wimbledon
Date: Sun, 25th August. Kickoff: 3:00 PM. Halftime: Leigh 12-6. Penalties: Leigh 6-5. Referee: Jack Smith. Crowd: 1,950.
London: Rourke, Kershaw, Natoli, Bassett, Macani; Leyland, Campagnolo; Butler, Davis, Kennedy, Adebiyi, Lovell (C), Stock. Int: Miloudi, Tison, Bienek, Jones.
Leigh: Hardaker, McIntosh, Hanley, Leutele, Brand; O'Brien, Lam; Amone, Ipape, Pene, O'Donnell, Halton, Asiata (C). Int: Dwyer, Davis, Hughes, Trout.
London Broncos (12)
Tries: Sam Davis, Josh Rourke
Goals: Oliver Leyland 2/2
Leigh Leopards (32)
Tries: Ricky Leutele, Gareth O'Brien, Darnell McIntosh, Frankie Halton, Kai O'Donnell, Aaron Pene
Goals: Zak Hardaker 4/7
Wigan Warriors won 22-4 against Hull FC in their game at The Brick Community Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Warriors keep the pressure on Hull KR with their win and remain in touching distance of silverware.
The hosts sprung out of the gate quickly with Jai Field digging into the line and unfurling a pass for Jacob Douglas to score his maiden four-pointer.
Next, it was another try assist for Field. This time, the fullback went short to Zach Eckersley to dive over.
Hull FC did fire back with a long range effort. Lewis Martin broke through then a quick shift to the right saw Jed Cartwright score.
The visitors had a few chances to level the game but the Warriors defense held firm and went into the break at 10-4.
Wigan were on the board again in the second half from close range. A simple inside ball saw Junior Nsemba stroll over to touch down.
The Warriors were in full flow and broke through again through Field. They sent it right again with Kruise Leeming who found Jack Farrimond to score and make it 22-4.
There was a sour note to end the game for Wigan after Patrick Mago was binned for his late shot on Jack Ashworth.
Wigan Warriors 22 Hull FC 4
Venue: The Brick Community Stadium, Wigan
Date: Sun, 25th August. Kickoff: 3:00 PM. Halftime: Wigan 10-4. Penalties: Wigan 5-3. Referee: Aaron Moore. Crowd: 12,347.
Wigan: Field, Douglas, Eckersley, Wardle, Marshall (C); Keighran, Farrimond; Havard, Leeming, Thompson, Nsemba, Walters, Mago. Int: Byrne, Dupree, Hill, Forber.
Hull FC: Moy, Barron, Tuimavave, Briscoe, Martin; Smith, Charles; Ese'ese, Lane (C), Gardiner, Chamberlain, Cartwright, Aydin. Int: Fash, Ashworth, Jebson, Ruan.
Wigan Warriors (22)
Tries: Junior Nsemba, Zach Eckersley, Jacob Douglas, Jack Farrimond
Goals: Adam Keighran 3/4
Hull FC (4)
Tries: Jed Cartwright
# | Team | P | W | D | L | B | +/- | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hull KR | 23 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 343 | 36 |
2 | Wigan | 23 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 271 | 36 |
3 | Warrington | 23 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 291 | 34 |
4 | Salford | 23 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 18 | 28 |
5 | St Helens | 23 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 184 | 26 |
6 | Catalans | 23 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 46 | 26 |
7 | Leigh | 23 | 12 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 160 | 25 |
8 | Leeds | 23 | 12 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 27 | 24 |
9 | Huddersfield | 23 | 8 | 0 | 15 | 0 | -148 | 16 |
10 | Castleford | 23 | 6 | 1 | 16 | 0 | -247 | 13 |
11 | Hull FC | 23 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 0 | -411 | 6 |
12 | London | 23 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 0 | -534 | 6 |
RELATED: Click here to view the current Betfred Super League table.
TOP TRYSCORERS
Rank | Player | Team | P | T |
1 | Liam Marshall | Wigan | 22 | 22 |
2 | Matt Dufty | Warrington | 21 | 17 |
=3 | Matthew Ashton | Warrington | 19 | 15 |
=3 | Mikey Lewis | Hull KR | 22 | 15 |
=5 | Ash Handley | Leeds | 18 | 14 |
=5 | Josh Charnley | Leigh | 20 | 14 |
=5 | Peta Hiku | Hull KR | 23 | 14 |
=8 | Innes Senior | Castleford | 23 | 13 |
=8 | Ryan Hall | Hull KR | 23 | 13 |
10 | Jack Welsby | St Helens | 19 | 12 |
TOP GOALKICKERS
Rank | Player | Team | P | G/A | % |
1 | Marc Sneyd | Salford | 23 | 81 / 91 | 89% |
2 | Rhyse Martin | Leeds | 23 | 68 / 84 | 81% |
3 | Arthur Mourgue | Catalans | 22 | 61 / 76 | 80% |
=4 | Mark Percival | St Helens | 18 | 55 / 72 | 76% |
=4 | Mikey Lewis | Hull KR | 22 | 55 / 83 | 66% |
6 | Adam Keighran | Wigan | 20 | 48 / 55 | 87% |
7 | Josh Thewlis | Warrington | 16 | 43 / 56 | 77% |
8 | Rowan Milnes | Castleford | 19 | 41 / 54 | 76% |
9 | Matt Moylan | Leigh | 18 | 40 / 53 | 75% |
10 | Stefan Ratchford | Warrington | 10 | 39 / 45 | 87% |
TOP POINTSCORERS
Rank | Player | Team | P | T | G | FG | Pts |
1 | Marc Sneyd | Salford | 23 | 3 | 81 | 3 | 177 |
2 | Mikey Lewis | Hull KR | 22 | 15 | 55 | - | 170 |
3 | Rhyse Martin | Leeds | 23 | 6 | 68 | - | 160 |
4 | Arthur Mourgue | Catalans | 22 | 5 | 61 | 1 | 143 |
5 | Mark Percival | St Helens | 18 | 5 | 55 | - | 130 |
6 | Josh Thewlis | Warrington | 16 | 10 | 43 | - | 126 |
7 | Adam Keighran | Wigan | 20 | 6 | 48 | - | 120 |
8 | Rowan Milnes | Castleford | 19 | 5 | 41 | - | 102 |
9 | Matt Moylan | Leigh | 18 | 5 | 40 | - | 100 |