Leigh Leopards ready to bring heat to St Helens as play-off showdown arrives
Owen Trout says Leigh Leopards are ready to handle the heat to seal their play-offs place. They go into tonight’s final game against St Helens needing a win - or risk being ousted out of the top six by Leeds or Catalans.
The Leopards had been in terrific form until getting bashed 24-0 by Hull KR last Friday. Prop Trout, 24, said: “It has probably added pressure on us.
“But, after we reviewed it, instead of being all negative we’re looking at it more as a lesson which has done us some good. Rather than going into the play-offs with ten wins from 11, it grounded us and showed us KR are a top-two side when we get in there.”
Saints have already booked their place in the top-six but Leigh would replace them in fifth place if they did win. Trout, in his first season with the Leopards after joining from Huddersfield, said: “It’s often a tough game against Saints since Leigh have come up.
“There was that really good contest in last year’s Challenge Cup semi-final. And when I’ve been here and we’ve played them they’ve been really physical games so - as a middle unit - we’re especially looking forward to the challenge.”
Trout made his Leigh debut in the 12-4 loss against Saints in March as he marked his return from a serious knee injury suffered when playing for Huddersfield last May. He has not missed a game since for Adrian Lam’s side, making 27 appearances.
Trout, who’d spent four years with Giants after joining from Leeds, said: “I have loved it. All the boys were so welcoming from the get-go and, on a personal aspect, I do feel I’ve had a really good year. Coming back from an ACL, I was thrown in at the deep end when we were struggling with injuries but I feel like I really benefited from that.”
In contrast, his former club have endured a dismal time, missing out on the play-offs for a second season running and seeing boss Ian Watson sacked. That perhaps vindicates Trout’s decision to move on and sign a three-year deal with Huddersfield’s Super League rivals.
He admitted: “They’ve had a tough year. There’s been a lot of change of personnel and it will be the same next year. But I’ll always have a place in my heart for Huddersfield for those four years there and what they did for me.”
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