Leigh Leopards options analysed for Wigan Warriors clash following double injury blow

Leigh Leopards coach Adrian Lam will be forced to shuffle his team around for their Super League semi-final clash with Wigan Warriors due to injuries.

The Leopards will be without winger Josh Charnley and back-rower Frankie Halton for their trip to the Brick Community Stadium on Saturday, with the pair stood down through the 12-day mandatory concussion protocol.

And they could also be missing star back-rower Kai O’Donnell, who Lam said will see specialists ahead of the game after taking a bang to his ribs in their win over St Helens a fortnight ago.

With the aforementioned injuries in mind, Lam will have to shuffle his team around this week. Here’s the primary options at his disposal ahead of their semi-final clash with Wigan on Saturday night, with the winner earning a place in the Grand Final at Old Trafford next week.

Who will replace Josh Charnley on the wing?

Charnley will no doubt be gutted not to be playing in Saturday’s game, but player welfare comes first, that’s what Leigh are prioritising: and rightly so.

But who replaces him? Well, there are a few options. Zak Hardaker has been utilised as a utility player by Lam this season, playing at centre, wing and fullback whilst he even came off the bench last week in the back-row following Halton’s early exit in their win over Salford.

Hardaker would be the obvious option to replace Charnley, you suspect, with Darnell McIntosh, Umyla Hanley and Ricky Leutele completing the backline with Matt Moylan remaining at fullback.

But there are a couple of more options for Lam to ponder, too. Keanan Brand has made three appearances for the Leopards this season, with two of those coming on the wing, so he offers another avenue for Lam to go down if he wishes to use Hardaker from the bench for his utility value.

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Who will feature in the back-row?

As mentioned above, Leigh will definitely be without Ireland international Halton: and they could be without O’Donnell, too.

And that undoubtedly leaves an unwanted selection dilemma for Lam, whose back-row opponents will be Liam Farrell and Junior Nsemba of the Warriors.

Jack Hughes would be the obvious choice to replace Halton in the back-row, whilst Oli Holmes, who has been 18th man on many occasions in 2024, being an option to fill the void should O’Donnell not be deemed fit to play.

And there is of course the option of Hardaker playing there, having impressed on the edge against Salford last time out.

Predicted Leigh line-up to face Wigan: Mat Moylan; Darnell McIntosh, Umyla Hanley, Ricky Leutele, Zak Hardaker; Gareth O’Brien, Lachlan Lam; Tom Amone, Edwin Ipape, Robbie Mulhern, Jack Hughes, Kai O’Donnell OR Oliver Holmes, John Asiata. Subs: Brad Dwyer, Aaron Pene, Owen Trout, Matt Davis.

The four to miss out from 21-man squad: Kai O’Donnell OR Oliver Holmes, Keanan Brand, Ben McNamara, Louis Brogan.

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