Leigh player ratings as Leopards ease past Batley Bulldogs to reach Challenge Cup quarter-finals

Leigh dispatched Championship outfit Batley Bulldogs in style on Sunday afternoon at the Leopards’ Den, winning 62-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup.

These are our Leopards player ratings…

David Armstrong – 8

This bloke is an absolute freak, and putting him up against a Championship side almost seemed cruel. His break to tee up Tesi Niu in the first half was a thing of beauty, and when he got his legs moving, Batley couldn’t handle the full-back. No surprise there. The only downside today a fumbled high kick early on, which he got away with as the Bulldogs were offside in their chase.

Darnell McIntosh – 6

For all the positive today from Leigh is the negative of what looks a nasty blow for McIntosh. Having only returned from injury to feature for the first time this year was withdrawn 18 minutes in after scoring acrobatically in the corner having done some damage to his shoulder. Prior, he’d bombed a try with a poor pass having broken through.

Tesi Niu – 9

We’ve seen it already numerous times in Super League, but Niu is a bulldozer. He took no prisoners on Sunday, and constantly made metres whenever he got the opportunity. Some nice hands shown to shift the ball on a couple of times, and got the try his performance deserved thanks to an Armstrong break.

Umyla Hanley – 8

We were hugely impressed by Hanley again, who is surely going to get himself into the England reckoning soon if his performances continue at the level they have been. Two tries, bursting through defenders in trademark style for the first and then going the full length for the other. No complaints with anything else he delivered. There was an assist for Matt Davis, too.

Keanan Brand – 9

Another top showing from Brand, who has sprung from pretty much nowhere to become one of the first names on the teamsheet for Leigh this season. Two tries, with the one he scored in the first half being one of the game’s brightest moments – going 80 metres and fending off countless Batley defenders to dot the ball down underneath the sticks.

Ben McNamara – 7

McNamara didn’t disappoint in his first appearance of the season, thrown into the halves by boss Adrian Lam in the absence of Gareth O’Brien. The 23-year-old was one of the few who ended the afternoon without a try, not through the want of trying, but had plenty of involvement in the moments that mattered. Took over kicking duties when McIntosh went off, and did a decent job.

Lachlan Lam – 8

A player of Lam’s technical ability doesn’t need a second invitation to go on a mazy run. We see it enough in Super League, but when you’ve got the fatigued bodies of a Championship side up against him, it’s only ever going to go one way. Excellent with the ball in hand, scoring two tries and creating cutting edge opportunities for plenty of others.

Owen Trout – 8

There wan’t much defending to do for Leigh on Sunday, at least not at high intensity, as you’d probably expect. There was a big effort from Trout underneath his own sticks in the first half to gather and get out though, avoiding a drop-out. He then scored a try with the final action of the game.

Edwin Ipape – 7

Ipape had been relatively quiet in the first half, and then produced a trademark break with the last action of the first 40 to slip in Lachlan Lam for a try. Lam senior withdrew the Papua New Guinean with half-an-hour remaining to give him a rest, well deserved.

Aaron Pene – 8

A routine afternoon for Pene as he played his first game of 2025. He was penalised for a high shot early on, but there weren’t any further misdemeanours or errors in what he delivered thereafter. Another who showed some nice hands to help shift the ball across the line in attack, and a try to his name late on.

Ethan O’Neill – 7

Not the performance level we’ve come to expect from O’Neill since his burst onto the Super League scene at the start of the year, but certainly nothing majorly wrong with what we saw. Some really powerful, direct runs when he got the ball in his grasp in the first half in particular.

Andrew Badrock – 8

Leopards boss Lam will be pleased with what he saw from Badrock again, with the off-season recruit still finding his feet in his side. He was alert to dive on a loose ball 10 metres out from his own try-line in the first half, and then got a try late on. He also scored in the Third Round against Workington Town.

Isaac Liu – 8

We can’t really pinpoint a moment of magic from Liu on the day, but he’s just an absolute monster. We’ve mentioned it before, but John Asiata’s shoes were big ones to fill – and he’s done it very well thus far. Like Ipape, he was withdrawn early on in the second half on Sunday for a well-earned rest.

Louis Brogan (Interchange) – 8

Some big minutes from Brogan, and minutes he probably needed in the tank at that. Solid.

Bailey Hodgson (Interchange) – 8

Hodgson replaced McIntosh 18 minutes in, and had an immediate impact, injecting energy into Leigh’s performance at the back end of the first half which is exactly what was needed. He looked dangerous every time he touched the ball, and you’d imagine he’ll take a spot in the side next week providing McIntosh’s shoulder injury keeps him out.

Matt Davis (Interchange) – 8

Davis marked his 200th career appearance with a try which crowned another solid showing. To have someone of his versatility on the bench is always a huge plus point for Leigh. A warrior.

Brad Dwyer (Interchange) – 7

Dwyer entered the action 50 minutes in, replacing Ipape. He was then withdrawn a few minutes before the end, and we don’t think there was an injury issue there. Nothing wrong in terms of performance in the time he spent out on the field.