Both sides got important victories last time out as Leigh look to secure the league leaders shield for the third season running and Halifax look to secure their place in the qualifiers and battle for a Super League place in 2017.
Leigh secured a tight victory at home to Bradford in the battle of last season’s top two. The meeting between these two sides earlier in the season ended in a 36 all draw as a Leigh comeback in the final quarter to snatch a draw. This meeting was just as close as it needed a Reni Maitua try in the final minutes secured a draw and Lee Smith secured victory with a great conversion from the full back.
Fax got revenge and it was sweet as it could be as they secured a 50 point margin after Swinton grabbed a shock win at The Shay earlier in the campaign. Scott Murrell put in a try scoring captain’s performance in at stand off and Steve Tyrer kicked 18 points. They had a 22 point advantage at half time but didn’t let up and scored five tries in the final quarter to do no harm to their points difference.
These sides met back in round six at the Shay and it was a tightly contested fixture which Leigh ended up coming on top with a 18-26 victory with all of the visitors points coming in the second half.
Squads
Leigh’s 19 man squad –ย Higson, Worthington, Kay, MoiMoi, Weston, Hansen, Paterson, Reynolds, Higham, Hopkins, Spencer, Smith, Ridyard, Hock, Armstrong, Hood, Drinkwater, Dixon, Burns.
Halifax’s 19 man squad –ย Ambler, Barber, Bennion, Cahalane, Fairbank, Greenwood, Grix, Heaton, Johnston, Kaye, R.Moore, G.Moore, Murrell, C.Robinson, Saltonstall, Sarsfield, Sharp, Tyrer, Tangata
Prediction – Expect a similarly tight affair to the one earlier in the season between these two sides and I expect the same result – Centurions by 8.
