Prop Joe Ofahengaue scored each Leigh Leopards tries as his facet pulled off their first victory at St Helens since 1982 and stored up the strain on Tremendous League’s prime two.

Ofahengaue crossed halfway by way of the second half to offer the Leopards with some respiratory area after two Gareth O’Brien penalties had put them 4-0 up on the break.

Saints, who went into the sport on the again of 5 straight victories, loved loads of possession however couldn’t break down Leigh’s gritty defence.

Ofahengaue capitalised to seize a second strive after Kyle Feldt spilled Lachlan Lam’s kick and, though Harry Robertson belatedly put Saints on the scoresheet, it was too late to stop the Leopards transferring to inside some extent of second-placed Wigan.

The 2 sides traded blows throughout a full of life, but scoreless opening 20 minutes – though video referee Jack Smith was known as to adjudicate 3 times in fast succession on potential tries.

Saints’ Owen Dagnall, stretching to achieve Tristan Sailor’s kick, was unable to make a clear connection and Leopards full-back Bailey Hodgson’s fast pondering to floor the ball denied the house facet once more, sandwiching a disallowed rating for Ofahengaue.

Leigh – who had overcome league leaders Hull KR and Wigan of their two most up-to-date outings – soaked up strain effectively however errors going ahead, from O’Brien and Edwin Ipape, slowed their progress.

Ultimately, it was O’Brien who broke the impasse, touchdown a profitable kick from 35 yards after Saints scrum-half Moses Mbye had been penalised for interference.

O’Brien put one other penalty try vast following a foul by Feldt, however his subsequent – a routine kick simply earlier than the interval – was profitable after St Helens had been rattled by Tesi Niu’s barnstorming sort out to tug Sailor out of contact.

Saints regarded the sharper facet after the turnaround, working the ball from left to proper and Alex Walmsley’s cost down the center carried them near the try-line, just for Leigh’s tenacious defence to carry agency once more.

Having unsuccessfully challenged a knock-on towards Jonny Lomax, the house facet conceded a penalty and Leigh broke clear, with O’Brien’s short-range move establishing Ofahengaue to wriggle over between the posts.

Ipape might need wrapped up the victory, racing away on the counter-attack however failing to search out Lam – and as an alternative it was Ofahengaue who made the factors secure, pouncing on Feldt’s fumble and bursting over the road.

Saints at the least averted the indignity of a clean scoresheet on their very own turf, with Robertson going over within the nook within the last minute, but it surely was not sufficient to disclaim rampant Leigh their sixth win in seven video games.