Round one edges closer as the 2026 Betfred Super League season kicks off for the Rhinos on Friday night with a trip to Leigh Leopards, kick off 8pm.
Another semi-final appearance at the end of 2025 saw Adrian Lam’s side finish short of an Old Trafford outing – something they wish to change in 2026.
Here’s a look closer look at the Leopards:
Lachie Lam
Club Apps: 105 | Club Tries: 29
Leigh’s heartbeat and on-field director Lam enters his fifth season as a Leopard since leaving the NRL to join his dad, Adrian, in 2022. Last year’s Rugby League Writers Player of the Year enjoyed another successful year in which he didn’t miss a minute for the club, scored seven tries in all competitions and finished as Super League’s highest try assister – 11 clear of Jake Connor in second.
The former Sydney Rooster and PNG international opened his account for 2026 last weekend with two tries against North Wales to book Leigh’s place in the next round of the Cup as they look to return to Wembley for the first time since lifting the Cup in 2023. This weekend’s Super League opener is a chance to get their Old Trafford journey off right though, as they look for their first home win over the Rhinos since 2023.
Edwin Ipape
Club Apps: 104 | Club Tries: 46
A dual-threat attack with Lam, hooker Ipape continues to be a livewire out of dummy half to kickstart Leigh’s attack. No other hooker in Super League made more tackle breaks, line breaks, try assists, carries and metres than Ipape in 2025 as he was back to his best to help the club to within 80 minutes of the Grand Final, and the hooker will be one to watch on Friday night in front of a home crowd.
Joe Ofahengaue
Club Apps: 18 | Club Tries: 5
Despite arriving later in the season at the Leigh Sports Village last year, prop Ofahengaue quickly cemented himself as a starter in Adrian Lam’s side with his combination of hard-hitting carries and crunching tackles. The Tongan international scored five tries in 18 games and was one of the competition’s hardest working forwards as he finished in the top ten props for carries and metres, plus he was fourth amongst props for offloads too.
Owen Trout
Club Apps: 62 | Club Tries: 8
Despite talk of an NRL move in the near future, Trout remains committed to the Leopards for the current season as a crucial member of the club’s forward pack. Shaun Wane brought the former Leeds Academy player into the England camp for last year’s Ashes series off the back of the forward playing his most minutes during a single season, and he takes that into 2026 as one of the most consistent props in the Leopards arsenal.
Games Played: 1
Games Won: 1
Top Try Scorer: Josh Charnley, Lachlan Lam, Edwin Ipape (2 tries)
Top Points Scorer: Adam Cook (14 points)
Brushing off a pre-season defeat to Warrington Wolves, last weekend saw the Leopards get their 2026 campaign off to a strong start as they walked away 60-6 winners against Crusaders in Wales.
Head coach Lam stuck with the side that brought him success in 2025, plus the additions of half back Adam Cook from Canberra Raiders and Jacob Alick-Wiencke from the Gold Coast, and the Leopards ran riot to progress through to the next round. Once rumoured to be moving away from Leigh in 2025, Josh Charnley joined Lam and Ipape with two tries against the Championship side, plus last year’s top try scorer Keanan Brand marked the start of a new season with points too.
Now they head back to home turf to take on the Rhinos in the first season opener between the two sides in Super League. A tough start continues on the road during the rest of February when St Helens and Wigan Warriors await in rounds 2 and 3.
Leeds’ history against Leigh in the summer era is a short one, dating back to 2005 and spanning only 13 games.
Leigh first entered the top division in 2005 and faced the Rhinos three times during their debut campaign – losing all three by an aggregate of 176-28 to a dominant Leeds team who were crowned World Champions and featured in every major final that season.
A 12-year wait for more Super League action ended in 2017 when the club earned promotion back to the top league but during that season and 2021, they fluctuated between the Super League and Championship competitions. Adrian Lam’s arrival in 2022 changed the club’s trajectory as they kept their Super League status during 2023 when they beat the Rhinos home and away for the first time in Super League history on the way to a debut Play Off campaign.
The Rhinos have reasserted themselves in recent matches, coming back to win the last two games at the Leigh Sports Village, as well as walking away 48-30 winners in a high scoring affair at AMT Headingley last year.
Tickets and travel for our away Betfred Super League Round 1 game against Leigh Leopards are available to purchase online at tickets.therhinos.co.uk, over the phone on 0371 423 1315 and from Leeds Rhinos Ticket Office Transfer Windows (Opening Hours) now.
For prices and more information, take a look at our match information.
