Landmark Charnley tries help Leigh defeat leaders Hull KR

Josh Charnley became the second player in Super League to score more than 250 tries

Betfred Super League

Leigh (14) 28

Tries: O'Neill, Hanley, Brand, Lam, Charnley 2 Goals: O'Brien 2

Hull KR (6) 10

Tries: May, Tanginoa Goal: Mourgue

Josh Charnley took his Super League try tally beyond 250 as Leigh Leopards inflicted a second successive defeat on leaders Hull KR.

The 33-year-old winger went over for his 250th and 251st tries in the competition to take Leigh back into third place, just eight days after they beat defending champions Wigan Warriors.

Charnley becomes only the second man to reach 250 tries in the Super League era, along with Leeds Rhinos' Ryan Hall, who has 260.

His second try took him past 1940s and 50s Wigan legend Brian Nordgren to become the 26th highest try-scorer in the history of the English game.

Leigh deserved their win as tries from Ethan O'Neill, Umyla Hanley, Keanan Brand and Lachlan Lam set up Charnley's big moments.

The Robins, who lost to Leeds last time out and were without playmaker Mikey Lewis, could only summon replies from Tyrone May and Kelepi Tanginoa.

The loss of Lewis for a head injury assessment last time out had seen Hull KR lose direction and discipline as they fell to a 14-8 home defeat by the Rhinos.

It meant the reigning Man of Steel was unavailable against Leigh due to concussion protocols.

They recalled Danny Richardson from loan at Salford Red Devils to replace Lewis but he limped off with an injury after 16 minutes to compound the problem.

By then Lam, Leigh's own strategist, had conjured up his 25th try assist of the season with a beautifully-weighted kick on the last tackle that saw O'Neill leap above two defenders to catch cleanly and touch down.

May dummied his way over to level the scores but Leigh's dominance was underlined by two more tries before the break.

Hanley showed the kind of acceleration and power that made his dad Ellery a rugby league icon to storm over for the first, and then Brand took advantage of a Joe Burgess fumble from a Gareth O'Brien high kick to open up an eight-point lead at half-time.

Hull KR, who had not lost back-to-back games since May of last year and racked up six straight wins over Leigh, the last three to nil, hit back in the second half as the otherwise impressive home full-back Bailey Hodgson spilled a high kick and Tanginoa showed great strength to force his way over.

That seemed to set up a tense second half but a brilliant try from Leigh broke the visitors' resistance as Tesi Niu accelerated through a gap deep in his own half, raced to halfway and then picked a pass for Lam to go clear of the pursuing defenders.

Lam turned creator after that, making just enough space for Charnley to dive over and touch down for a trademark finish in the corner for his 250th league try, in a career that has also taken in Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves, and which includes a two-year spell in rugby union with Sale Sharks.

A bizarre incident followed as tempers flared at a sizzling Leigh Sports Village, with referee Liam Moore eventually deciding to sin-bin Robins' Jez Litten for a tackle off the ball on Lam.

In the meantime, Litten had been taken off for a head injury assessment which meant he could not be punished, so his replacement Mickey McIlorum had to troop back off the field for the remainder of the game.

Leigh took advantage as Charnley raced over in the corner again to put the seal on their first win over the Robins since the 2023 Challenge Cup final.

'As good as we've played this year' - reaction

Leigh coach Adrian Lam told BBC Radio Manchester:

"That's as good as we've played this year. It was a really tough, hot day and we stayed in the grind the whole time and turned up for each other. There was a lot of Queensland State of Origin stuff about it, which was the inspiration during the week which I tried to pass on to the players.

"Tsi Niu was next level, the try he set up for Lachie Lam was sensational but I'm proud of everybody. The forward pack were awesome and Charnley got his 250th try, a really special moment.

"We're getting a bit closer to second. We need them (Wigan and Hull KR) to slip up but we need to take care of our own back yard. It's really tight there at the moment, we slipped from third to fifth overnight and it can happen again."

Hull KR coach Willie Peters told BBC Radio Humberside:

"We knew (it would be tough) but with a couple of HIAs and then losing Danny Richardson with what looks like an ankle injury, and people moving around, we knew what Leigh would bring and they deserve the win.

"We had a dig but there are some areas we have to work on and clean up, but these are the peaks and bellies of the Super League season. You are going to have periods when you're not as sharp as you want to be, without taking anything away from Leigh who were good.

[On losing Richardson early] "It was chaos but we pride ourselves on being able to handle chaos and we didn't handle it as well as we could and should.

[On late Litten incident] "All i know is that Jez is busted up and failed his HIA for a reason and we need to have a look at that. We'll lose Jez for next week. Mikey (Lewis) will be back."

Leigh: Hodgson, Brand, Niu, Hanley, Charnley, O'Brien, Lam, Trout, Ipape, Ofahengaue, Halton, O'Neill, Liu.

Interchanges: Hughes, Tuitavake, Davis, McNamara

Hull KR: Mourgue, Davies, Hiku, Broadbent, Burgess, Richardson, May, Sue, McIlorum, Waerea-Hargreaves, Whitbread, Batchelor, Minchella.

Interchanges: Litten, Hadley, Luckley, Tanginoa.

Referee: Liam Moore.