It’s the penultimate round of the Betfred Championship! The final two rounds are of extreme importance, as they will undoubtedly affect the final league standings…
The action gets underway on Friday night with arguably one of the standout ties of the round - Sheffield Eagles, who returned to winning ways last Sunday, will host a sixth-placed York Knights.
This result could have massive implications for the Play-Offs, with neither the Eagles’ nor the Knights’ Play-Off place officially confirmed yet. Only two league points separate the two teams heading into this match.
The Eagles have won all three meetings with the Knights this year, including an AB Sundecks 1895 Cup semi-final. They will also be boosted by their strong win against Featherstone last weekend.
But with Mark Applegarth’s men in fine form, it could be anybody’s game on the day.
Equally, the clash between Widnes and Toulouse is huge, as Toulouse continue to cling on to second spot. A victory for the Vikings, however, would secure their Play-Off place for 2024 with one regular round to go.
Featherstone, who slipped into seventh place following back-to-back defeats, will host Dewsbury, and are in desperate need of the two points. They know they can ill-afford to underestimate a relegated Rams, despite having won their last ten meetings with them.
The third game on Saturday night sees Wakefield Trinity host Barrow, as Daryl Powell’s men enjoy their run of home games in the remaining rounds.
It’s set to be a cracker when Halifax take on Bradford on Sunday. The Bulls are still in the race for second place and sit just one point behind Toulouse.
Batley and Doncaster, who can no longer mathematically make the Play-Offs, will still be hoping to end their seasons on a high.
The Bulldogs are at home to Whitehaven – a side who know a loss on Sunday would near enough confirmation their relegation to Betfred League One for 2025.
Meanwhile, the Dons travel to Swinton in search of a third straight win. The Lions, however, know that two points could push them into the safety zone with one game to go.
Betfred Championship Round 25 fixtures:
Sheffield Eagles v York Knights
Widnes Vikings v Toulouse Olympique
Wakefield Trinity v Barrow Raiders
Featherstone Rovers v Dewsbury Rams
Halifax Panthers v Bradford Bulls
Batley Bulldogs v Whitehaven RLFC
Swinton Lions v Doncaster RLFC
The full fixture list for the Betfred Championship and all of the relevant information and kick-off times can be found here.
Photo Credit: Featherstone Rovers
