Leigh Leopards secured a crucial 40-16 victory over Toulouse Olympique at Ernest Wallon Stadium on Saturday, June 27, 2026, amid a severe European heatwave with temperatures reaching 37 degrees Celsius.
Winger Josh Charnley crossed the line four times, extending his career try-scoring tally to 276, as the Leopards moved within two competition points of Hull KR, Wakefield Trinity, and St Helens in the Super League standings.
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The match featured four hydration breaks due to the extreme conditions, and Toulouse forward Joe Cator required first-half treatment for heatstroke.
Charnley opened the scoring within five minutes and completed his hat-trick by the 23rd minute. Additional tries came from Jacob Alick-Wiencke, Innes Senior, Tesi Niu, and Liam Horne.
Toulouse responded late in the game after trailing 34-0, with Ethan Quai-Ward, Rob Butler, and Reubenn Rennie scoring consecutive tries before Horne sealed the final points for the visitors.
The victory marks Leigh's seventh win in nine league fixtures, while Toulouse suffered their seventh consecutive home loss since February, leaving them third from the bottom of the table.
Injury Concerns Ahead of the Match
Both Charnley and captain Lachlan Lam were doubtful before the game after sustaining severe knee lacerations requiring 10 stitches each during a prior fixture against Hull KR.
Head coach Adrian Lam revealed the cuts resulted from opponents' boot tags and raised concerns about infection and re-injury on a short five-day turnaround.
"Both players want to play but it's just whether or not it's the right thing to do," Lam said.
