Leigh Leopards vs Catalans Dragons: Tomkins to turn up on Magic Weekend
Leigh Leopards lock horns with Catalans Dragons at Magic Weekend with a chance to go second in the Betfred Super League table - for 24 hours at least.
The Leopards may have one eye on next weekend's Challenge Cup semi-final against Warrington, but they will first face a Dragons side who won a perfect four out of four in April to close in on the top six. Read on for my Leigh Leopards vs Catalans Dragons predictions, alongside all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of Saturday's fixture (15:00, Sky Sports Action).
Leigh Leopards vs Catalans Dragons Betting Tips
*odds correct at the time of publication
Team News
Both head coaches make changes to their squads for the opening fixture at Magic Weekend.
The Dragons have key man Sam Tomkins back in their squad as one of two changes made by head coach Steve McNamara. That boost is offset somewhat by the loss of veteran winger Tommy Makinson, with Frank Maria also dropping out and being replaced by Leo Darrelatour.
Leigh boss Adrian Lam will want as many bodies back as possible for that big semi-final date next weekend, but still has absentees in Newcastle. Lam is forced to make three changes to the side that strolled to victory without a glove laid on them at Salford last Saturday.
Crucially star hooker Edwin Ipape is back after missing the Red Devils win through suspension. Star full-back David Armstrong is missing again through the quad injury that has niggled away for the past few weeks since his explosive arrival in Super League.
Frankie Halton and Keenan Brand both miss out through injury, while there are doubts over Gareth O'Brien, Jack Hughes, Tesi Niu and Umyla Hanley. Both Niu and Hanley have been sidelined, and this weekend may be too soon, given the importance of next weekend's fixture.
Leigh Leopards vs Catalans Dragons Odds
Leigh Leopards are 8/15 to win on Saturday, with the Catalans Dragons 8/5, or a 38.5% chance, and the draw 18/1.
Leigh Leopards 1-12 points @ 19/10
It is an intriguing match-up, this one. Normally, I wouldn't even need to consult the odds to back Leigh to beat Catalans. But given the respective injuries in the two squads, and the Challenge Cup semi-final next weekend that the Leopards will surely prioritise, this is suddenly a tough game to call.
Add in the four-match winning run that saw McNamara's men blitz through April, and I'm left feeling that this could be a stickier than expected fixture for Leigh in the Newcastle sunshine.
A glance at the handicap shows a four-point start for Leigh, and that tallies with how close I feel this one is to call. A big part of me wants to back the Catalans here, but in truth, I am yet to be convinced that they have rediscovered the consistency that makes them certainties to compete in the big games. Their early-season form before April was as volatile as it was through a disappointing 2024. And it is worth considering that of those four wins in a row last month, two of them were against crisis-club Salford and one was against a Huddersfield side who look incapable of winning a game at all.
But they are certainly the team with momentum and should ask plenty of questions of the Leopards here. That said, I still feel Leigh is the safe bet, and Lam will absolutely not want to be preparing for a big semi-final next week off the back of a defeat.
Leigh have won the last three games against the Dragons, including 34-6 earlier this year. Catalans have improved immeasurably since then, but I am still leaning towards a Leopards win by a score or two.
Odds correct at time of publishing.
Sam Tomkins anytime try scorer @ 7/4
It may or may not be the Catalans' day in Newcastle, but they do have the man for the big occasion in Sam Tomkins.
You may not be able to trust the former England captain when he tells you he is retiring, but you can definitely trust him to turn up on the big occasion. And with the rugby league world descending on Newcastle for Magic Weekend, I expect Tomkins to show that he still has it at the top level.
Odds correct at time of publishing.
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