Wire 12 Leigh 20 - hosts beaten in King Testimonial
WARRINGTON Wolves' final pre-season game before the 2025 campaign begins saw them lose to Super League rivals Leigh Leopards in Toby King's Testimonial match.
Three tries in six minutes late on earned Leigh the victory as Andrew Badrock, Keanan Brand and Nathan Wilde touched down inside the final quarter.
Badrock muscled over on the left edge before Brand dived over in the same corner the play after Cai Taylor-Wray had produced an excellent try-saving tackle after a long-range break, before Wilde finished off a break through the middle from ex-Wire man Matt Davis.
Before then, Jake Thewlis had touched down to give The Wire the lead on the hour mark having been set up by Testimonial man King, who was substituted to a standing ovation late on.
The sides had gone into half-time level at 6-6, with Matty Ashton's acrobatic finish cancelling out an early opener from Leigh's Bailey Hodgson.
Matty Ashton dives over to score in the first half (Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)
More to follow
Warrington Wolves beaten in Toby King Testimonial - post-match reaction
> Burgess' admission after watching Wire lose pre-season friendly to Leigh
> Sam Burgess offers Wire injury update with big blow confirmed for half-back
> INSTANT REACTION: Pre-season ends in defeat for Burgess' boys
> Re-live the action from The Halliwell Jones Stadium as it happened here
Match facts:
Toby King Testimonial
Saturday, February 1, 2025
Warrington Wolves...12 Leigh Leopards...20
Wolves: Matt Dufty; Alfie Johnson, Rodrick Tai, Toby King, Matty Ashton; George Williams, Oli Leyland; Paul Vaughan, Danny Walker, Luke Yates, Adam Holroyd, Dan Russell, Ben Currie. Subs: Joe Philbin, Zane Musgrove, Jordy Crowther, Tom Whitehead, Cai Taylor-Wray, Max Wood, Lucas Green, Luke Thomas, Jake Thewlis, Zac Bardsley-Rowe, Nolan Tupaea, Ben Hartill, Joe Hickey
Leopards: David Armstrong; Keanan Brand, Tesi Niu, Umyla Hanley, Bailey Hodgson; Gareth O'Brien, Lachlan Lam; Owen Trout, Matt Davis, Aaron Pene, Frankie Halton, Ethan O'Neill, Isaac Liu. Subs: Jack Hughes, Alex Tuitavake, Kavan Rothwell, Brad Dwyer, Jack Darbyshire, Louis Brogan, Brad Martin, Andrew Badrock, Ben McNamara, Nathan Wilde, Will Brough, AJ Towse, Ryan Brown
Scoring: Hodgson try, 4mins, O'Brien goal, 0-6; Ashton try, 14mins, Leyland goal, 6-6; Thewlis try, 60mins, Leyland goal, 12-6; Badrock try, 67mins, 12-10; Brand try, 72mins, 12-14; Wilde try, 76mins, McNamara goal, 12-20
Penalties: Wolves 2 Leopards 5
Referee: Marcus Griffiths
Attendance: 6,984
