The Leopards have been the great disruptors since their promotion to Super League in 2022, with three successive top-five finishes and an unforgettable Challenge Cup success in 2023.
But four straight losses – their worst run in that period – had them in the unusual position of penultimate in the table, but Charnley’s walk-in try inside the opening two minutes eased any nerves.
Nice work from Lachlan Lam and Tesi Niu put opposite winger Senior in for his fourth try of the season, before another simple finish from veteran Charnley gave the Leopards a good cushion in the opening quarter.
And when Horne benefited from Lam’s fast feet to add Leigh’s fourth try, only one outcome looked likely.
Toulouse had given St Helens and Wigan Warriors big starts before starting to play in their previous two games, and they did the same here.
Tropis got them on the board before half-time and Laguerre’s score after a huge dipping pass from Olly Ashall-Bott got them back into the game.
Leopards forward Ryan Brown was sin-binned for a late tackle and, with a man extra, the French side took advantage as Laguerre jinked and side-stepped his way past three defenders to reduce it to a two-point game.
Brendan Hands then thought he had put them ahead when he touched down, but he was adjudged to have been offside in the build-up.
However, Shorrocks’ penalty with five seconds remaining took the game into extra minutes as Toulouse dug deep.
But O’Brien slotted over a drop goal in the first half of the two five-minute periods to settle this unlikely thriller.
