Preview: Leeds Rhinos vs Leigh Leopards – prediction, team news, lineups

Leigh Leopards have an opportunity to go within one point of the top two when they travel across the M62 for a Super League clash with the Leeds Rhinos this Friday night.

While the Leopards are looking to bag their fourth straight victory, the Rhinos will be hoping to shake off their recent defeat to St Helens.

Match preview

Leeds Rhinos saw their five-match winning run come to a crushing end last Friday night as the Yorkshire outfit were beaten 18-4 in a thrilling encounter away at St Helens.

Head coach Brad Arthur questioned his team’s attitude after the game, describing parts of the performance as ‘embarrassing’ and accusing his men of wanting to get a ‘quick win over and done with.’

Leeds were held to a single digit score for just the second time this season, while their defence conceded 18 points for the second time since the start of May.

One defeat in six games is not necessarily a crisis, but the result has seen the Rhinos drop to fourth in the standings - still trailing second-placed Wigan Warriors by four points and the league leaders by eight.

The Leigh Leopards took full advantage of that slip-up and leapfrogged their rivals into third spot after banking their third straight Super League victory, beating the Catalans Dragons 26-12 away in France.

The win did not come without controversy, with club owner Derek Beaumont being accused of insulting the Dragons’ directors by allegedly ignoring an invitation to attend a post-match dinner – an invitation which the French side offers to every club that arrives in Perpignan.

The Leopards chief made further headlines after interrupting a Sky Sports interview with head coach Adrian Lam, which saw Beaumont singing and dancing alongside a supporter in the background.

With the club trending on social media for all the wrong reasons, Lam will be determined to refresh the news cycle as his men prepare to take on the Rhinos in a fixture with serious playoff implications.

Victory for Leigh would take them within one point of the top two and the Wigan Warriors – something that seemed unlikely when the club endured a three-match losing run in mid-May.

Leeds Rhinos form: LWWWW

Leigh Leopards form: WWWLL

Team News

Leeds Rhinos have made two changes to their 21-man squad ahead of Friday’s big Super League clash at Headingley.

Forward Morgan Gannon has been ruled out following a shin injury he sustained during the defeat to St Helens last week.

Ethan Clark-Wood has also missed out on selection as Alfie Edgell makes his return to the squad, alongside youngster Presley Cassell.

Big news from Leigh concerns the inclusion of Josh Charnley in the squad, in spite of a transfer approach from a Super League rival.

Charnley, who is the second-highest try-scorer in Super League history, has also been linked with a move to Championship club Oldham ahead of the 2026 season.

The only other change in the Leigh squad sees Alec Tuitavake miss out on selection after receiving a one-match suspension for late contact in the clash with the Catalans.

Leeds Rhinos predicted lineup: Miller, Handley, Lumb, Newman, Watkins, Connor, Croft, Oledzki, Palasia, O’Connor, Bentley, McDonnell, Smith; Holroyd, Lisone, Ackers, Sinfield

Leigh Leopards predicted lineup: Armstrong, McIntosh, Niu, Hanley, Brand, O’Brien, Lam, Ofahengaue, Mulhern, Ipape, Halton, Trout, Liu; Charnley, Davis, O’Neill, McNamara

We say: Leeds Rhinos 20-18 Leigh Leopards

Leeds Rhinos have only lost two games at home since the start of the season, and we are expecting their strong home form to continue.

While the Leigh Leopards have won their last three, two of those came against out-of-form opposition – something we certainly cannot say about Leeds.

Previews by email