But after two minutes 20 seconds of golden point extra time, O’Brien stroked over the winner to hand Leigh their first win at Wigan in 42 years.
Super League saw history 28 seconds into the second half as Wigan’s Liam Farrell made the competition’s first ever Captain’s Challenge – typically, he lost.
This was the first pointless 80 minutes in the competition’s history and the first match without a score since a Cumbrian clash between Workington and Whitehaven in December 1993.
Jake Wardle and Luke Thompson went close as Wigan started well - Leigh were clinging on yet only Wardle’s positioning stopped the Leopards pouncing on a break.
GARETH O’BRIEN was Leigh's golden boy after Super League’s big build up was left literally pointless.
