I wonder if they have schedules the fixtures in a way to try and keep momentum in the crowds attending?
So for example, once the season starts most fans will be starved of any Rugby League and would 'hopefully' turn out in their numbers for the first few rounds, then add in some juicy fixtures to keep crowd momentum turning up in their numbers.
Having one of your nearest rivals in the opening round when it would generally be well attended anyway is probably not the best way to go, yes I see the logic in it, but even if the Leigh game is scheduled for a mid week I would still expect a decent turn out, so maybe a fixture that would generally be a lower turn out, but fans are eager to watch a game and therefore would go to watch the grass grow if there was a rugby ball on the pitch, maybe is more savvy thinking, just maybe?