The penultimate round of the Betfred Super League brought more eye-catching performances from England’s World Cup hopefuls, with less than six weeks to go until the tournament kicks off.
The Rhinos and Warriors faced off in the pick of Round 26’s fixtures, with just points difference separating the two sides at the top of the Super League table. With the League Leaders’ Shield on the line, the game was aptly dubbed ‘The Decider’.
Wigan were utterly dominant throughout, eventually running out comfortable winners and taking a huge step towards securing the League Leaders’ Shield.
One of the key battles came in the halves, with potential England scrum-halves Jake Connor and Harry Smith going head-to-head.
Smith came out on top, effortlessly steering the Warriors around the park while also making his mark individually. He set up a try, made a line break and racked up an impressive 442 kick metres. He also made 16 tackles without missing one, underlining his contribution on both sides of the ball.
Up front, Luke Thompson and Ethan Havard laid the platform for a Warriors side that dominated the Rhinos physically. The pair both carried for more than 100 metres and combined for 65 tackles.
Junior Nsemba also made his long-awaited return during Wigan’s big win at AMT Headingley. The back-rower has recovered from a hamstring injury and came through a solid 53-minute outing as he looks to finish the season strongly and force his way back into the England squad after missing last year’s Ashes Series.
Elsewhere, Jez Litten continued his standout season on Friday night as the Robins confirmed their place in the top six with a big home win over the Giants.
The hooker crossed for a try and set up another, while also running for 71 metres from 13 carries. Litten will be hoping his consistently strong form is enough to secure his place on the plane to Australia.
England’s centre positions are likely to be hotly contested this year, and Umyla Hanley once again threw his hat into the ring with another impressive performance for the Leopards.
Hanley was recently rewarded with a call-up to the England Performance Squad following his outstanding club form, and continued to make his case with a brace of tries on Friday night. He also made nine tackle breaks and ran for 118 metres from 15 carries.
Wakefield earned a huge home win against fellow top four hopefuls Warrington on Saturday afternoon, with England hopeful Tom Johnstone once again making an impact.
The winger crossed for a try and produced an impressive 193 metres from 19 carries as Wakefield strengthened their push for their highest ever Super League finish.
England kick-off their 2026 Rugby League World Cup campaign in Perth on Saturday 17 October against Tonga. Follow their World Cup journey across England RL digital channels, YouTube and the Our League app.
