Betfred Super League 2025: Leigh aiming to continue incredible progress

After a massive turnover in personnel, Leigh Leopards will be looking to defy expectations for a third successive year in the 2025 Betfred Super League season.

Having stunned the rugby league world to win the Betfred Challenge Cup and qualify for the Super League play-offs in 2023, they bounced back from an injury-affected start the following season to finish fifth in the league and record a first-ever play-off win last September.

Now, prolific winger Josh Charnley believes it’s now time for a fresher-faced Leopards side to take the club forward after the departures of key names such as John Asiata and Zak Hardaker ahead of 2025.

“We’ve lost a lot of experience in our team this year, we’ve recruited a lot of young kids, which has made the camp a little bit more competitive, and it’s looking well,” the 33-year-old tells Betfred ahead of the new campaign.

“I’m excited for the year ahead. I think I’m the oldest in the team now, which is a bit of a shock, so I’ve got to try to lead by example.”

Leigh’s magnificent form in the second half of 2024 climaxed with an elimination round win away to the Salford Red Devils before their journey came to an end against all-conquering Wigan Warriors. But Charnley insists there’s plenty to be taken from that epic run.

“We knew once we had players coming back we’d start rolling teams. We had to win 14 of the last 16 games to get into the play-offs, and we just took each win as it came and got the job done.

“I think we can take a lot of confidence from the way that we played, and teams will know that Leigh’s style of play is a bit of a mind-boggle because we can play from anywhere.”

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Lachlam Lam hopes that some of the lessons learned in their slow start to 2024 will help to push the Leopards on to a first-ever Grand Final appearance this season.

“We didn’t have a good start to the year – probably in both years – with injuries and what-not – but we heard the outside noise and people writing us off, and I think that helped motivate us as well.

“Sometimes you just need one good performance to remember what you can do, so it was good to perform at the back end of the year. We went one step further than the ’23 season in ’24, so this year we’ll try to go one more.”

Leigh face the daunting task of beginning the Super League season with a trip to the back-to-back reigning champions Wigan on Thursday, February 13. The Warriors won all four available trophies in 2024, and are heavily tipped to win the Grand Final again this term.

The Leopards, meanwhile, are a 20/1 shout for the ultimate glory at Old Trafford in October, while a repeat of their 2023 Challenge Cup success is priced at 14/1.

The experienced Charnley begins the season just six tries behind all-time leader Ryan Hall in the Super League charts on 248 four-pointers, and the former Warrington Wolves and Wigan flyer is 12/1 to finish the 2025 regular rounds as the leading try scorer.

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