Leigh Leopards have a laser like focus on just one thing in 2024, and that is to unseat either the Catalans Dragons, St Helens or their nearest neighbours Salford Red Devils and secure a place a the end of season play offs.

What stood in their way today was a London Broncos side who have shown some improvement in form throughout the 2024 season and who knew a win was likely to lift them away from bottom spot in the table and plunge Hull FC into further turmoil with just four games of the regular season to go.

The visitors were strong favourites with the bookies, London having been given a twenty-two-point start on the coupon, and seventh place in the table beckoned as the Leopards looked to be positioned just a point adrift of their competitors for the last of the six places.

Iliess Macani had the first opportunity of the game as he looked to sneak in down the left on four minutes but great Leigh defence pushed him into touch as he went to ground.

On thirteen a Oli Leyland grubber was collected and grounded under intense defensive pressure by Sam Davis for the opening try of the game for the home side. Leyland added the conversion for a 6-0 lead.

Leigh opened their account on seventeen, Darnell McIntosh collecting a pinpoint kick to the corner from Gareth O’Brien and dropping to the ground for the try before sliding dead in goal. Zak Hardaker was wide with the conversion, London with the narrowest of leads.

John Asiata was sin-binned on twenty-five for a late tackle, Leigh trailing and down to twelve for the ten minutes.

A skirmish on twenty-eight resulted in Rob Butler being sin-binned for a late tackle, both sides now playing with twelve men. From the resulting penalty a grubber to the like from O’Brien was collected and scored by Frankie Halton for a simple walk-in try. Hardaker was again off target, the Leigh now had the lead by two points.

Three minutes from the interval, Leigh were in again to extend their lead. Ricky Leutele chased down an O’Brien kick into goal and somehow managed to catch the ball while horizontal and maintain contact until he grounded just short of the dead ball line. Hardaker was again unable to convert, the Leigh lead just six points at the interval.

Five minutes into the second half the Broncos were back in the game with Josh Rourke taking a short pass from Oli Leyland and spinning out of two attempted tackles to go over. Leyland kicked a simple conversion to level the scores at 12-12.

London were dominating but couldn’t regain the lead but after back-to-back penalties inside the London twenty, Hardaker pointed at the posts and kicked his first goal of the afternoon to give Leigh the lead with eighteen minutes remaining.

With thirteen minutes remaining Leigh dealt the fatal blow to London when Kai O’Donnell took a Lachlan Lam pass to go through the defensive line and round the full back to go over by the left upright. Hardaker added the conversion, and the lead was eight points.

On seventy-three Leutele broke down the left wing before passing inside to O’Brien who headed a queue of Leigh players waiting to score. Hardaker added the conversion for 26-12, the points now securely in the bag and on their way back north.

With thirty seconds left on the clock, Aaron Pene picked up a Tom Amone offload to take two steps over the line and ground. Hardaker was on target again for a final score of 32-12, a comfortable win for the Leopards.

Despite some dogged and determined resistance from the London Broncos it was Leigh Leopards who emerged from battle with the points which puts them just one league point away from the two sides in fifth and sixth place in the table as they maintain their quest for the play-offs. It was an opportunity missed for London who could have lifted themselves off the bottom of the table, but who finish the round still stuck in twelfth place.

London Broncos: Rourke (T), Kershaw, Natoli, Bassett, Macani, Leyland (2/2 G), Campagnolo, Butler (SB on 28), Davis (T), Kennedy, Lovell, Adebiyi, Stock.  Subs: Tison, Bienek, Jones, Miloudi. 18th Man: Storey.

Leigh Leopards: Hardaker (4/7 G), McIntosh (T), Hanley, Leutele (T), Brand, O’Brien (T), Lam Amone, Ipape, Pene (T), O’Donnell (T), Halton (T), Asiata (SB on 25).  Subs: Dwyer, Davis, Hughes, Trout. 18th Man: Charnley.

Half-Time: 6-12.

Full-Time: 12-32.

Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 6-4, (SB), (SB), 6-8, 6-12 :HT: 10-12, 12-12, 12-14, 12-18, 12-20, 12-24, 12-26. 12-30, 12-32 :FT.

Lead Exchanges: London – Leigh – Square - Leigh.

Referee: Jack Smith.