Round 1 of the Betfred Championship did not disappoint, as we take a look at what’s in store in Round 2…
First up, is a standout tie in the capital as London Broncos welcome Featherstone Rovers.
Their last meeting came in 2023 when the Broncos pulled off a shocking result at The Millenium Stadium – beating then favourites Fev 26-36 in the Championship semi-finals as they went on to secure promotion to the Betfred Super League.
This time they will entertain the Rovers on their home patch.
Then, Batley Bulldogs begin their campaign after a bye week in Round 1. They have a tough trip to Boundary Park to face a newly promoted Oldham, who completely stunned York Knights last Sunday with a 50-4 victory.
And York will be desperately hoping to right their wrongs in front of a home crowd when they host Toulouse on Sunday.
The French side have won their last four away meetings with York, although they did lose at 12-20 to the Knights in their most recent encounter at Stade Ernest Wallon.
While Mark Applegarth will be expecting a response from his Knights side, Sylvain Houles will also be hoping his side can get off the mark, having narrowly lost to Widnes Vikings in the opening round.
Who will claim their first win of the new season?
Meanwhile, Hunslet will enjoy their first home tie in the Championship in over a decade as they welcome Brain Noble’s Bradford Bulls to the South Leeds Stadium.
Bradford are undefeated in their last 28 meetings with Hunslet – Hunslet haven’t won against them since January 1968, but can this year be any different?
There’s a tasty Round 2 tie between Widnes and Sheffield Eagles – a fixture that saw pure drama in 2024. Last time out at the DCBL Stadium saw Widnes take a 35-20 win, with Sheffield taking a 30-21 win in the reverse fixture. The Vikings' Tom Gilmore kicked a drop goal in both...could he prove pivotal in Sunday's match?
Finally, who will make it two from two when Halifax Panthers and Barrow Raiders lock horns? Both sides looked strong in their Round 1 openers and came away with wins against Sheffield and Hunslet respectively.
It's the Panthers who have won their last ten home meetings with the Raiders, but this is a new season where anything can happen…
Betfred Championship Round 2 fixtures - all Sunday 23 February (K.O. 3pm):
London Broncos v Featherstone Rovers
Halifax Panthers v Barrow Raiders
Oldham v Batley Bulldogs
Hunslet v Bradford Bulls
Widnes Vikings v Sheffield Eagles
York v Toulouse Olympique
Doncaster - Bye week
Don’t forget you can make your Betfred Championship predictions on the Rugby League website here or in the Our League app now. Download the Our League app on iOS or on Android to start playing the Predictor Game!
The Betfred Championship’s full fixture list can be found here.
Photo Credit: Bradford Bulls
