Welcome back to the Betfred Super League, Leigh Leopards. You remember the top-of-the-table Catalans Dragons, right?!
That's the task ahead for the Challenge Cup winners seven days on from their biggest moment in 52 years when they beat Hull Kingston Rovers with a golden-point drop-goal from Lachlan Lam at Wembley Stadium. Here's everything you need to know about Saturday's action.
Leigh Leopards v Catalans Dragons
Where: Leigh Sports Village, Leigh.
When: 3pm (BST)
TV: Sky Sports Arena
Leigh's last five: Won 13-6 @ Leeds (Rd 21), Lost 18-44 @ Wigan (Rd 20), Won 24-22 @ Salford (Rd 19), Won 34-16 @ Castleford (Rd 18), Won 34-4 v Hull KR (Rd 17)
Catalans' last five: Won 30-10 @ Warrington (Rd 21), Won 42-0 v Salford (Rd 20), Won 14-12 @ St Helens (Rd 19), Lost 14-22 v Huddersfield (Rd 18), Won 28-18 @ Hull FC (Rd 17)
Betfred match winner odds (80 minutes): Leigh 2/1, Catalans 2/5, draw 20/1
Handicap betting (Leigh +7.5): Leigh 10/11, Catalans 5/6
Milestones:
John Asiata's appearance in the Challenge Cup final was his 199th senior showing, while Joe Mellor is two tries from reaching 100 in his career.
Previous meetings:
Round 16, 2023: Catalans Dragons 38, Leigh Leopards 30
Round 2, 2023: Catalans Dragons 14, Leigh Leopards 6
Round 22, 2021: Catalans Dragons 64, Leigh Centurions 0
Round 9, 2021: Leigh Centurions 30, Catalans Dragons 36
Million Pound Game, 2017: Leigh Centurions 10, Catalans Dragons 26
Total Super League meetings: 6 (Leigh 0, Catalans 6, no draws)
After their monumental triumph in the Betfred Challenge Cup final last Saturday, Leigh return to league play with a first home game in seven weeks. They face a Catalans Dragons side to whom they have already lost twice in the south of France this season, but on both occasions they have run the league leaders close. Adrian Lam might find that his biggest challenge this week is to get his players back into big-game mode after their cup celebrations.
The Dragons have been phenomenal in recent months, with only a shock defeat against Huddersfield Giants blotting their copybook since their loss to Salford Red Devils in late-April. Steve McNamara's men have a four-point advantage at the top of Super League going into the final weeks and if they can clinch a top-two spot early then they can go about the business of trying to go better than in 2021, when they were narrowly beaten by St Helens in the Grand Final at Old Trafford.
Sportsman stat: Catalans Dragons scored a total of 100 points in two games against Leigh in the then-Centurions' previous Super League season. The aggregate score so far this term is 52-36 in the Dragons' favour.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject to Change
