Wigan Warriors held on to top spot at the end of the regular Super League season courtesy of a tense and nervy 10-6 win over Leigh Leopards on a thrilling final day this evening.
Three teams went into the final day all level on points at the top of the table, with Wigan leading the way and Catalans Dragons and four-time defending champions St Helens only trailing them on points difference.
Leigh themselves were sitting in fourth, handing Wigan the toughest final game on paper of the three teams locked together on points, but they did just about enough to claim a narrow victory that earns them the League Leaders' Shield for the first time since 2020.
Jai Field and Jake Wardle went over in the first half for the visitors in front of a record Leigh crowd, but the hosts reduced the deficit through Lachlan Lam before half time.
However, the second half remained scoreless throughout as Wigan clung on to both the victory and to top spot, with their points difference good enough to hold off both of their challengers despite Catalans and St Helens both winning as well.
For Leigh, though, their defeat coupled with a big win for Hull KR against Wakefield saw them surrender fourth spot and finish in fifth, denying the Challenge Cup winners home advantage for their eliminator against Hull KR next week.
In what had been billed as the best end to a season in Super League history, all three of the joint-leaders held up their ends of the bargain and ultimately kept the positions in which they began the day.
Catalans won 19-8 at Salford Red Devils to hold on to second place and secure a home semi-final in the playoffs, with champions St Helens completing their imperious end to the season by beating Hull FC 30-12 for a ninth straight win.
An underwhelming first half of the campaign ultimately meant that they had to settle for third place, though, setting up a home eliminator against early pace-setters Warrington Wolves, who won at Huddersfield Giants to scrape into the sixth and final playoff spot.
In the only final-day match with not much riding on it, Leeds Rhinos bounced back from their recent drubbings at the hands of Wigan and Catalans to inflict one of their own on Castleford Tigers, running out 46-0 winners.
Barney Corkhill
