Super League results, review & odds update from the Super 8s and Qualifiers
A review of the latest round of Super League games across the weekend so far, including a vital win for Widnes at Leigh.
Super League fixtures & results (Aug 31-Sept 3)
Thursday, August 31
Leeds 38-26 Hull, Headingley
Friday, September 1
Huddersfield 16-24 Castleford, John Smith's Stadium
Salford 18-43 Wakefield, AJ Bell Stadium
St Helens 16-26 Wigan, Langtree Park
Saturday, September 2
London Broncos 38-40 Warrington, Trailfinders Sports Club
Sunday, September 3
Featherstone 18-30 Hull KR
Halifax 0-24 Catalan Dragons
Leigh 8-24 Widnes
Sunday's Super League review
Leigh 8-24 Widnes
Leigh tries: Clare (55), Dawson (65)
Goals: None
Widnes tries: White (4), Gerrard (25), Hanbury (26), Thompson (59)
Goals: Hanbury (13), Bridge (60,68,75)
Widnes took a huge step towards retaining their Super League status with a 20-8 triumph over Leigh in the Super 8 Qualifiers.
Widnes made an excellent start with a try after just four minutes. Hooker Lloyd White shot through from dummy-half to score a try before Rhys Hanbury kicked two penalty goals in quick succession.
The visitors scored their second try in the 26th minute when forward Alex Gerrard hit a good line to power his way over from 10 metres out. Hanbury's conversion made it 14-0 to the Vikings.
Leigh made a determined start to the second half and gave themselves hope when winger James Clare, making his competitive debut for the Centurions, touched down in the corner.
But Widnes responded in the best possible fashion, creating space for winger Corey Thompson to score in the corner. Chris Bridge converted from the touchline to make it 20-4 to the Vikings.
Matty Dawson scored with 14 minutes to play to get Leigh back within two converted tries, but Widnes saw out the game with two Bridge penalties to complete a crucial 24-8 success.
Halifax 0-24 Catalan Dragons
Catalan Dragons tries: Walsh (29), Myler (35), Wiliame (45), Yaha (65)
Goals: Walsh (30, 36, 45, 67)
Catalans Dragons overcame playing a quarter of the game with 12 men to ease their relegation fears with a 24-0 victory at Halifax.
A quarter of an hour before half-time, with the deadlock still not broken, Greg Bird was sin-binned for Catalans for a spear tackle on Heaton.
Just a couple of minutes later Luke Walsh's floated cross-field kick was not dealt with by the Halifax defence and Louis Anderson pounced to put the visitors ahead.
Justin Horo then broke free for Richie Myler to cross beside the posts and Walsh's second successful conversion doubled the lead.
Catalans added a brace of further tries after the interval.
Just three minutes into he second half on-loan Wigan winger Lewis Tierney broke free down the left for the supporting Brayden Wiliame to score, with Walsh again adding the extras.
Tempers flared on the hour leading to Ben Johnston and Vincent Duport, who remains just one short of equalling Catalans' try-scoring record, both being sin-binned for fighting.
Catalans exploited the extra space to score again through Fouad Yaha in the corner, with Walsh's fourth successful conversion ensuring the French side victory.
Saturday's Super League review
London Broncos 38-40 Warrington Wolves
London tries: Dixon (3,77), Williams (9), Sammut (15, 61, 72), Ackers (74)
Goals: Sammut (16, 62, 73, 74, 78)
Warrington tries: Lineham (28), King (39), Hiku (45), Brown (52, 65), Patton (54), Westwood (57)
Goals: Patton (39, 46, 53, 55, 58, 66)
Class eventually prevailed as Warrington Wolves came from behind to defeat a spirited London Broncos 40-38 in the Super 8s Qualifiers.
Both sides scored eight tries and the Broncos had a 14-0 lead early on, but last year's Grand Final runners-up battled back and were able to hang onto the victory by the skin of their teeth after moving ahead.
Kevin Brown scored a pair of tries for the victors, while Declan Patton kicked six goals, helping Warrington overcome a hat-trick from Jarrod Sammut.
Friday's Super League review
St Helens 16-26 Wigan
St Helens tries: Barba (21), Taia (58), Makinson (61)
Goals: Percival (58,61)
Wigan tries: Gildart (2,5), Gelling (50), Williams (51)
Goals: Williams (2,5,14,51,80)
Marquee signing Ben Barba scored a try on his eagerly-awaited Super League debut but finished on the losing side as Wigan bounced back in style from their Wembley disappointment to secure a precious 26-16 victory.
The Warriors never looked back after centre Oliver Gildart grabbed two tries in the first five minutes of the Super 8s derby, although Barba's 22nd-minute score gave St Helens hope and second-half tries from Zeb Taia and Tommy Makinson added a touch of respectability to the score.
Wigan captain Sean O'Loughlin produced an immense performance to keep alive his side's bid to retain their league title a week on from their Challenge Cup final defeat by Hull.
They are now just two points behind third-placed Hull, their next opponents at the KC Stadium next Friday, while St Helens drop to sixth with their semi-final hopes hanging by a thread after they failed to recover from a shocking start to the match.
Huddersfield 16-24 Castleford
Huddersfield tries: Roberts (22), Clough (34), McIntosh (77)
Goals: Rankin (34,40)
Castleford tries: Webster (12), Roberts (43), Eden (52), Gale (62)
Goals: Gale (12,43,52,62)
Leading try scorer Greg Eden took his tally to 36 as League Leaders Shield winners Castleford maintained their momentum with a 24-16 victory at Huddersfield.
The Tigers clinched top spot in the table with victory over Wakefield just over a fortnight ago but refused to take their foot off the accelerator against the Giants, for whom defeat effectively ends any hope of climbing in among the top four play-off contenders.
Cas, who have now won all but one of their last 16 League and Super Eight games, trailed 12-6 at half-time as Oliver Roberts and Paul Clough scored tries for Giants to overturn an early score from Jake Webster.
However, further tries from Ben Roberts, Eden and Luke Gale after the break helped the visitors ease to a 23rd win of the campaign.
Salford 18-43 Wakefield
Salford tries: Kopczak (3), Johnson (30), McCarthy (71)
Goals: Carney (3,30,71)
Wakefield tries: Miller (12,33), Arundel (21), Randell (46,58), Tupou (50)
Goals: Finn (12,21,33,37,40,44,46,50,58)
Drop-Goals: Miller (76)
Australian hooker Tyler Randell scored twice on his debut as Wakefield cemented their place in the top four of Betfred Super League with a convincing 43-18 victory over Salford at the AJ Bell Stadium.
Signed from Newcastle Knights only last month, Randell showed great speed off the mark with both his tries while scrum-half Liam Finn produced a kicking masterclass with nine goals from as many attempts for Chris Chester's side.
Stand-off Jacob Miller also scored two tries as the visitors scored 30 points without reply in a devastating spell either side of half-time.
Thursday's Super League review
Leeds 38-26 Hull
Leeds tries: Burrow (7), Singleton (17), Sutcliffe (29), Garbutt (37), Cuthbertson (48), Parcell (78)
Goals: Watkins (7,18,30,38,49,55,71)
Hull tries: Michaels (14), Taylor (20), Washbrook (45), Bowden (60)
Goals: Sneyd (16,20,33,46,60)
Leeds brought Hull down to earth following their Wembley triumph with a 38-26 victory that clinched a Super League top-four finish and almost certainly a home semi-final.
Despite a five-day turnaround and the absence of four members of their Challenge Cup-winning team, the Airlie Birds showed few signs of the traditional Wembley hangover but their valiant effort was not enough to prevent a 12th successive defeat at Headingley.
Lee Radford's men are now five points behind the second-placed Rhinos with three rounds left of the Super 8s but could still set up another trip to Leeds with a chance to earn a place at Old Trafford.
Leeds suffered a blow before kick-off when stand-off Joel Moon, who has proved a revelation this year since his switch from centre, injured his groin in the warm-up but they had the luxury of having the experienced Rob Burrow on hand to step into the side.
And Burrow delivered a man-of-the-match performance, making his mark after only six minutes by scoring the first try, following up a fortuitous offload from former Hull winger Tom Briscoe who was the first to reach Burrow's high kick.
There was also a landmark moment for Marc Sneyd, fresh from his Lance Todd Trophy-winning heroics, as he scored the 500th goal of his career with the first of five goals of the night but it was to no avail in terms of the result.