The Leigh Leopards duo that could achieve history against former club Wigan Warriors on Friday night

Leigh Leopards duo Josh Charnley & Zak Hardaker could both hit milestones against former club Wigan Warriors on Friday night.

Winger Charnley and versatile back Hardaker made over 250 combined appearances for the Cherry & Whites, with both tasting silverware during their time at The Brick Community Stadium.

Charnley – with Wigan between 2010 and 2016 – won three Grand Finals and three Challenge Cups as well as two League Leaders’ Shields.

Hardaker meanwhile spent circa three-and-a-half seasons with the Warriors, arriving at the start of the 2019 campaign and departing midway through 2022.

Now with the Leopards, the pair will return to Wigan on Friday evening (July 5), in a Round 16 clash and both could achieve a bit of history…

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Josh Charnley

33-year-old Charnley is closing in on Danny McGuire, who sits second on the list of all-time Super League try-scorers with 247.

Charnley is eight behind him, and nine behind Hull KR flier Ryan Hall who recently broke the record.

And while we’re not suggesting – by any stretch of the imagination – that Charnley is going to get eight tries against his former club, just one would see him achieve some history.

Whenever Charnley’s next try comes, it will see him draw level with Welsh dual-code star Maurice Richards in 31st place in the list of all-time try-scorers in the British game.

Three tries on Friday night would see Charnley move level with 30th place on that list in ex-Great Britain ace Alan Hardisty, who has 304 to his name.

Charnley’s next few targets on that list can be seen below…

All-time try-scorers in the British game (25th-32nd)

 25. Alan Hunte – 314

= Jimmy Leytham – 314

27. Brian Nordgren – 312

28. Alan Smith – 311

29. Jim Lomas – 310

30. Alan Hardisty – 304

31. Maurice Richards – 302

32. Josh Charnley – 301

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Zak Hardaker

Hardaker meanwhile will have to pull off some heroics to hit his milestone(s), needing three tries to hit two of them.

The 32-year-old – who is widely expected to link up with Hull FC in 2025 – is three tries of the milestone of having scored 150 in his career, and also three off the milestone of having scored 100 in Super League alone.

26 of his 147 career tries to date came in Wigan colours, with 22 of those in Super League.

A full breakdown of how he’s reached 147 – and 97 in Super League – to this point can be seen below…

Hardaker’s 147 career tries so far (all competitions included)

• 5 for Leigh Leopards (2023-2024)
• 69 for Leeds Rhinos (2011-2016, 2022)
• 26 for Wigan Warriors (2019-2022)
• 13 for Castleford Tigers (2017)
• 1 for Penrith Panthers (2016, loan)
• 28 for Featherstone Rovers (2010, 2011, loan)
• 3 for England (2012-2013, 2015, 2017, 2021)
• 2 for England Knights (2012)

Hardaker’s 97 Super League tries so far (including play-off games & Super 8s matches)

• 4 for Leigh Leopards (2023-2024)
• 59 for Leeds Rhinos (2011-2016, 2022)
• 22 for Wigan Warriors (2019-2022)
• 12 for Castleford Tigers (2017)

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