Preview:Wigan Warriors vs Leigh Leopards – prediction, team news and lineups

A place in the Super League Grand Final will be up for grabs when Wigan Warriors and Leigh Leopards lock horns in Friday's semi-final.

Despite threatening to sensationally pull out of the fixture, the Leopards are expected to make the short trip to the Brick Community Stadium as one of the most dramatic playoff campaigns in Super League history continues.

Match preview

Super League has a knack for producing some of the most preposterous stories in sport, though the lead up to Friday’s semi-final certainly ranks as one of the most bizarre situations in recent years.

Wigan, who finished the regular season in second place, stunned the rugby league world after announcing on Wednesday morning that Leigh owner Derek Beaumont had threatened to pull his team out of the fixture over a ticketing dispute.

Leigh had been awarded 4,800 tickets for the fixture, which was a lot more than the minimum of 2,500 which Wigan were obliged to give. Beaumont was not happy with the allocation and allegedly put the game into doubt after telling the Warriors that his team would not fulfil the scheduled fixture.

At the time of writing, the Leopards owner has not responded to Wigan’s statement, though the overarching sentiment suggests Leigh will take to the field on Friday.

When it comes to the on-field situation, Super League’s first semi-final has the makings of an absolute classic, with both teams capable of making a good case for victory.

When these two sides clashed in last year’s semi-final, Wigan were able to run riot and come away with a commanding 38-0 win – something we are not expecting to happen on this occasion.

The two teams have already played three times this season, with Wigan winning once and Leigh getting the victory twice – including a historic 1-0 success in the opening fixture of the 2025 campaign.

Leigh head into Friday’s fixture on the back of a six-match winning run, which includes their 26-10 victory over Wakefield Trinity in the playoff quarter-final last week.

The Leopards have not tasted defeat since mid-August, when they were narrowly beaten away at Hull FC – one of their seven defeats this season.

Wigan, on the other hand, enter Friday’s huge encounter on the back of a five-match winning streak which includes recent successes over Leeds Rhinos and St Helens.

The Warriors boast the best attack in the competition, having scored just shy of 800 points, and they also have endured the joint-fewest defeats, losing five matches alongside League Leaders Shield winners Hull KR.

Wigan Warriors Super League form:

L W W W W W

Leigh Leopards Super League form:

W W W W W W

Team News

Wigan are arguably in the best shape they have been all year, with head coach Matt Peet managing to name his strongest side for recent games.

Previous injury concerns regarding Luke Thompson, Adam Keighran and Abbas Miski have all been resolved, while Bevan French has also returned to action and is playing some of his best rugby.

Leigh are also doing well on the injury front, though they are not in quite as good of shape as their rivals.

The Leopards are still without Louis Brogan and David Armstrong, with the pair not expected to make their returns until next season.

In terms of disciplinary, Edwin Ipape is currently just one charge away from getting a ban, while Lachlan Lam was placed on report during last week’s win over Wakefield.

Wigan Warriors possible starting lineup:

Field, Miski, Keighran, Wardle, Marshall, French, Smith, Havard, O’Neill, Thompson, Walters, Farrell, Ellis

Leigh Leopards possible starting lineup:

Hodgson, Charnley, Niu, Hanley, Brand, O’Brien, Lam, Mulhern, Ipape, Ofahengaue, Trout, Halton, Liu

We say: Wigan Warriors 18-16 Leigh Leopards

When these two teams met in last year’s semi-final, Wigan powered to a comfortable whitewash victory. A repeat of that is unlikely.

Leigh appear to be more accustomed to those big nights under the lights, and they are expected to give their rivals a run for their money. Nevertheless, we are backing the experience of Wigan to give them an edge in what should be a thrilling encounter.