2017 Season Review

2017 Season Review

The professional season is now over following Leeds Rhinos’ victory over the highly fancied Castleford Tigers.  It’s been an eventful eight or nine months and it’s not over yet as the World Cup is just around the corner.

Congratulations to Leeds for their victory at Old Trafford and hopefully Castleford will dust themselves off and go again much stronger for it next season.  They had a fantastic year and you’ll never take away their first ever first placed finish in the table from them.

Also, huge congratulations go to Hull FC for a memorable Challenge Cup victory over Wigan to retain the trophy they won last season.

For my final blog looking at this year’s domestic campaign I’ll take a look back at my predictions from the start of the year and whether I got any of them right?!

Super League

My prediction that Wigan would sweep all before them this year was way off in the end.  They came close to grabbing the Challenge Cup title but couldn’t quite hold off holders Hull FC.  I was also surprised that they failed to reach the play-offs and finished sixth in the Super 8’s.

I predicted that Sam Tomkins would come back and have a big season but it never really took off for him.  His form ultimately led to him not being selected for the England World Cup squad (that squad selection is for another blog though!)

I then predicted it would be a baptism of fire for promoted Leigh Centurions after being handed a very tough opening six games.  They actually surprised me by doing very well to win three of those matches and my thoughts that they’d finish in the top eight didn’t look so bad at that stage.  But they couldn’t win their fourth game for nearly three months.

That ultimately led them to having to spend the latter part of the season in the Qualifiers and we all know how that ended up for them.  It’s a shame to see Leigh come straight back down as it would have given hope to future Championship clubs coming up to the top tier that they could actually compete and survive.

My final hope was that we would see a more competitive Super League campaign with more clubs in the mix.  We certainly got that with the likes of Wakefield and Salford’s excellent seasons and Castleford finishing top for the first time in their history, a full ten points clear of second placed Leeds.

The fact that last season’s champions, Wigan, could only finish as high as sixth overall shows how other teams have progressed around them.  Yes, they suffered injuries, but they also suffered with injuries last year but still went on to beat favourites Warrington at Old Trafford.

Championship

The first question I asked was would Hull KR bounce back at the first attempt.  They did with relative ease.  They swept away all before them in the regular season (apart from two defeats against Toulouse) to finish three points clear of London Broncos and bounced back into the top tier thanks to victories over Leigh and Widnes in the Qualifiers.

It remains to be seen how they will fair in next year’s Super League but having been a SL side for a number of years before relegation they should already have everything they need to put up a good challenge.

I then asked if Bradford Bulls could beat the odds and survive relegation after their 12 point deduction.  Unfortunately not, as despite keeping the crux of their small squad, it took them until the end of the regular season to finally reach zero points.

That meant they had a mountain to climb once the Championship Shield stage kicked in and would have had to win all seven of their matches to survive the drop.  Seeing a club as successful as Bradford drop to the third tier of rugby league is a huge reality check for the sport and proves if a club isn’t run properly, the club’s demise is inevitable.

I then predicted that London Broncos would step up and push for that SL place following a good showing in 2015 where they missed out on a Million Pound Game spot on points difference.  This time though, they fell even shorter behind by finishing five points off the MPG.

I predicted that Toulouse would also make the Qualifiers and it would have come true but for a Round 21 home defeat to Halifax.  Oldham and Swinton, who had survived relegation the season before had another difficult year and in the end Oldham drew the short straw and will spend time in League 1 from 2018.  On a positive note at the bottom end of the table, promoted Rochdale Hornets survived and enjoyed a relatively successful campaign.

League 1

My first point on this division was whether Toronto Wolfpack was just another doomed-to-fail expansion experiment by the RFL.  As predicted they eventually won the League 1 title with relative ease, only falling short against York and Keighley.

After my impromptu visit to the North American city in May with Barrow Raiders my mind was settled about the legitimacy of the Wolfpack and felt that they are a club that will be successful and are here to stay.

But, because of their success, there is now talk of other North American cities hosting expansion clubs as rugby league continues to grow across the pond.  That can only be a good thing for the sport but a downside to this is that the third level of British professional rugby league could end up being a play-thing for the RFL to try new ideas and constantly change the boundaries.

I also wanted to see a Cumbrian revolution this season.  We certainly had it with Barrow and Whitehaven fighting for promotion all the way to the Play-off Final at Craven Park last month.  That was a fantastic match-up and in some quarters considered more important that the MPG as rugby league fans want to see a revival in fortunes for the semi-pro Cumbrian clubs.

To have over 3,000 spectators at the game was fantastic and to see how much it meant to both clubs before and after the game was also great.  Barrow won so they will be the Cumbrian representatives in next season’s Championship.

Hunslet were the only heartland team to miss out on the top eight this season but did end the year with silverware in the League 1 Shield.  I'm sure they'll build on this year and come back much stronger in 2018.

Finally, I wanted to see if another non-heartland club could break into the top eight after London Skolars did last year.  This time it was Newcastle Thunder who reignited their fortunes and broke into the Super 8’s and eventually ended the season strongly to claim a Play-off spot over Doncaster, Keighley and Workington.

It was the same old teams at the bottom end of the table with Hemel Stags and South Wales fighting it out for the wooden spoon.  It was eventually handed to the Welsh club who will now start 2018 under another rebranding as West Wales Raiders.  Let’s hope this one proves more successful for them.

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The Play-offs - Part 3

The Play-offs - Part 3

So here it is - the final week of the domestic professional rugby league season.  It now comes down to just one game and a winner-takes-all Grand Final at Old Trafford.  The winners will lift the Super League trophy and for the losers it will be so near, yet so far.

When you look at it like that it’s a strange scenario in many ways.  There’s been lots of talk already this week of the structure of the game in this country, not just the unwanted impact a defeat in the Million Pound Game can have on a club, but the frustration as to why the league champions will be decided after a one-off game.

Many neutral supporters would side with the argument that it would be a crying shame if Castleford didn’t win this match after finishing in first place so convincingly after 30 rounds.

But on the other hand, Leeds have their supporters and will be up for this, no question, and have the added bonus of previous Grand Final experiences behind them.  This will be the Rhinos’ record-equalling tenth appearance in the season-ending showpiece, and having won the title in seven out of their nine visits already, the most successful side in Super League will be confident of victory against the inexperienced Tigers.

Some pundits are claiming Castleford will win comfortably but I can’t see that happening.  For me it’ll be a close call and one that could be won right at the death.

CASTLEFORD TIGERS

To call the Tigers inexperienced is probably doing them a disservice as the experience of winning the League Leaders Shield should stand them in good stead.  Also knowing that they have beaten Leeds four times already this season will be in the back of their minds and would love to make it five from five.

Daryl Powell’s side have been a revelation in Super League this season.  Since their opening night victory over Warrington Wolves in Round One they’ve kicked on stronger than ever and have been a joy to watch at times.  They were predicted to finish high but nobody expected them to finish top and by so many points.

Back to Saturday’s game and Castleford have by far the stronger of the two squads.  Luke Gale has been outstanding all season and should win the Man of Steel Award in my opinion.  He has stiff competition from team mate Zak Hardaker who will come up against his former club in Leeds.

Either one of those two could claim the Harry Sunderland Trophy.  No Castleford payer has ever won that award either so to win both trophies would crown a special season for the Tigers.  This would also be a great opportunity for Mike McMeeken and Greg Minikin to shine.

On a side note, depending on how well England perform at the World Cup at the end of this year we may be seeing calls for Powell to be given the England role – for me, anything but an appearance in the World Cup Final would be a failure, so watch out Wayne Bennett.

LEEDS RHINOS

The most successful side in the Super League era have enjoyed a fantastic turnaround since the disappointing showing last season.  The 2015 treble winners suffered badly following the departure of the ‘holy trinity’ from the squad in Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Peacock and Kylie Leuluai.

They were big names to try and replace and the same can be said of this season’s pending departures of Danny McGuire and Rob Burrow.  It will be interesting to see how they handle that next year.

Because of the two players named above I wouldn’t put it past Leeds to send them out on a high as the club did for the Sinfield and co. in 2015.  Brian McDermott was practically moved to tears after the Semi Final victory over Hull FC last weekend and it was a fantastic performance from his players.

As for the other members of the squad, winger Ryan Hall will almost certainly score a try or two, as he always does on the big stage.  Excellent performances will be required from both Kallum Watkins and Jamie Jones-Buchanan if the Rhinos are to overcome what could be a rampant Tigers performance.

My Prediction: Castleford Tigers by 6+ points

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The Play-offs - Part 2

The Play-offs - Part 2

An eventful final weekend saw the Super 8’s and Qualifiers campaigns concluded with a few eye-opening results which sets up three enthralling match-ups for this coming weekend.

Who would have thought last season’s champions (Grand Finalists for the last four years) Wigan, on the verge of sneaking into the Play-offs on points difference, would be swept aside by Wakefield – an opponent who was already out of the running thanks to St Helen’s win a couple of nights earlier – and miss out on a Play-off place for the first time since 2006?

Hull’s emphatic defeat of Castleford Tigers at the Jungle set up an enthralling all-Yorkshire Semi Final with second placed Leeds.  Whilst St Helens, the only other side to win at the Jungle this season, finished fourth and will take on Castleford.

In the Qualifiers, Widnes came back from France celebrating their first ever win away to Catalans which secured their Super League status for another 12 months and left Catalans with the unenviable task of having to get a win at a partisan Leigh Sports Village in the Million Pound Game.

Elsewhere, the Championship Shield and League 1 Promotion Final also look to be mouth-watering encounters as well.

SUPER LEAGUE SEMI FINALS

Castleford Tigers v St Helens

Thursday, 28^th September 2017 – 19:45pm

The first of the weekend’s big games takes place at the Jungle on Thursday night.  St Helens stunned the home crown in Round 1 of the Super 8’s but that didn’t stop the Tigers from going on to claim the League Leaders shield three rounds later and finish the season ten points clear of nearest rivals, Leeds Rhinos.

The ‘will he start-won’t he start’ saga of Luke Gale will be answered this week.  Can Daryl Powell risk his main man a game early, or will he keep him on the sidelines in the hope that Saints don’t shock them by pulling off a memorable victory so he’s ready for the Grand Final?

It’s a big question but Castleford can’t rely on one man.  They have plenty of other match winners in their side.  Saints on the other hand won’t be bothered who they face as they’ll go out there with the same mentality as ever look for a second consecutive win at the Jungle and a third win over the Tigers this season.

My prediction: Castleford to win by 6+ points

Leeds Rhinos v Hull FC

Friday, 29^th September 2017 – 19:45pm

The other Semi Final will be just as exciting, if not more so.  Leeds Rhinos will host the game but they won’t have it all their own way and I fancy Hull to win this one.

Hull’s Dream Team pairing of Mahe Fonua and Albert Kelly could be crucial, and if they can pair that with another good performance from Mark Sneyd, Hull could run away with this like they did the Challenge Cup Semi Final a couple of months ago.

The Rhinos have made no bones about their own ambitions though.  This will be Danny McGuire and Rob Burrow’s final ever home game for Leeds and they won’t want to throw away a chance of successfully ending their career at Old Trafford like team-mates Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Peacock and Kylie Leuluai did in the treble-winning campaign of 2015.

My prediction: Hull to win by 2+ points

MILLION POUND GAME

Leigh Centurions v Catalans Dragons

Saturday, 30^th September 2017 – 15:00pm

It goes without saying that this game can make or break a club’s future.  Wakefield Trinity went from strength to strength after beating Bradford Bulls in the 2015 match (and just look which way Bradford went!)  A year later Salford sneaked it at Hull KR but Hull recuperated and have bounced straight back up to Super League at the first attempt.  Salford also enjoyed one of their most successful seasons in the summer era and they now look to be a settled side.

So this game brings with it a number of conundrums for both clubs.  Leigh will desperately want to avoid dropping down to the Championship after just one season in the top flight and working so hard to get there.  And there have been a few mutterings that relegation could destroy the Dragons, and French rugby league, if the result goes against them.

I would find it hard to go against what will surely be a partisan Leigh crowd which could sway this result.  Had it been the other way round and the game played in Perpignan, then I could have only seen one winner.  But with the game at LSV that should be enough to get Leigh over the line.

If that happens I feel sorry for the nine English Championship clubs next season who will have to travel to Catalans, Toulouse AND Toronto!

My prediction: Leigh to win by 4+ points

CHAMPIONSHIP SHIELD FINAL

Toulouse Olympique v Sheffield Eagles

Saturday, 30^th September 2017 – 14:30pm (UK time)

Toulouse Olympique have the chance to claim a second consecutive Play-off trophy on Saturday.  Having beaten Barrow Raiders in last year’s League 1 Promotion Final they face Sheffield Eagles in the Championship Shield Final – another game that they are favourites to win.

The Eagles last trip to Southern France ended in a 16 point defeat and I don’t see it being any different this time around even if they did overcome a Batley Bulldogs side that finished seven points ahead of them after the regular season.

However, Olympique have won their last ten games and will be confident of making it 11 from 11.  That should offer some consolation for a team that was tipped by many to grab a spot in this season’s Qualifiers.

My prediction: Toulouse to win by 18+ points

LEAGUE 1 PROMOTION FINAL

Barrow Raiders v Whitehaven

Sunday, 1^st October 2017 – 15:00pm

The final match to take place this weekend sees an all-Cumbrian derby in the League 1 Promotion Final.  It’s the match-up every neutral expected and every supporter of either side probably wanted.

Barrow hammered Newcastle Thunder in their Semi Final and will be everyone’s favourites to claim victory and the second promotion spot on Sunday.  It will be Whitehaven’s first visit to Craven Park this season as both previous meetings were up the coast at the Recreation Ground where both sides claimed a victory each.

It took a drop goal deep in extra time for Whitehaven to finally overcome York City Knights but will hope for a more comfortable victory if possible on Sunday and Carl Forster will have his side thoroughly fired up for this encounter.

My prediction: Barrow to win by 8+ points

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The Play-offs - Part 1

The Play-offs - Part 1

This season seems to have flown by.  It doesn’t seem five minutes since I was watching my first game of the year way back at the end of January at Leigh Sports Village catching the Challenge Cup First Round tie between Leigh Miners Rangers and Wigan St Patricks.

But with one round of fixtures left to play in the Super 8’s and Qualifiers sections we have reached the Play-offs elsewhere in the professional rugby league divisions.  Five Play-off matches will take place this weekend and I’ll look at each of them here.

CHAMPIONSHIP SHIELD SEMI FINALS

Toulouse Olympique v Dewsbury Rams

Saturday, 23 September 2017 – 14:30pm (UK time)

The French side will be clear favourites to win this semi final having won all but one of their seven Shield matches this year, making up for them narrowly missing out on a place in this season’s Qualifiers, and setting up potentially two final home matches to end the season.  They will be wary after what happened against Rochdale in last season’s League 1 Promotion Final though but I wouldn’t expect any slip-ups in this game.

Ironically, the only blot in this later stage was a 36-34 defeat away to their semi final opponents.  However, despite a very slow start to the season, Dewsbury failed to live up to further expectations after that victory and lost three of their last four matches to finish 18 points off the pace of Toulouse in the final standings.

My prediction: Toulouse to win by 14+ points

Batley Bulldogs v Sheffield Eagles

Sunday, 24 September 2017 – 15:00pm

It would be wrong to read anything into Batley’s decent 34-18 victory over Sheffield last weekend in what was a dress-rehearsal for this week’s second semi final.  Both sides have middle eight’s experience from the previous two years and this should be an interesting match-up.  The Bulldogs will be slight favourites having finished seven points clear of their opponents in the final table and have the home draw, but Sheffield will be desperate to make amends for what has been a very hit and miss season.

The gap in the final score won’t be as high this weekend and it’s these particular games which make we wish the Championship was still shown on TV as I think it could be a cracker.

My prediction: Batley to win by 4+ points

LEAGUE 1 PROMOTION SEMI-FINALS

Barrow Raiders v Newcastle Thunder

Sunday, 24 September 2017 – 15:00pm

Barrow lived up to everyone’s expectations in League 1 this season by finishing second behind Toronto Wolfpack and winning the League 1 Cup at the end of May.  Six victories from their seven Super 8’s matches started with an excellent win away to promotion rivals Whitehaven at the end of June.  They haven’t quite managed to win by the big margins they achieved in the early part of the season but they’ve been very consistent throughout.

Newcastle on the other hand scraped into these Play-offs by the skin of their teeth thanks to a great win away to York City Knights and Doncaster and Keighley’s defeats to leapfrog both teams and finish fifth.  Thunder finished 13 points behind Barrow in the final standings and will be major underdogs for this match against a team in good form and a big home crowd at Craven Park.

My prediction: Barrow to win by 12+ points

Whitehaven v York City Knights

Sunday, 24 September 2017 – 15:00pm

Relegated Whitehaven have won both the encounters between these two sides this year.  The most emphatic was a ten point victory two weeks ago and should be favourites again for this match.  When Haven moved to second at the end of the regular season after victory over Barrow Raiders, the game between them both the following weekend saw them drop back to third but it was the defeat to Doncaster in Round Three that sealed their fate.

York on the other hand had a very successful season following the doubts that surrounded the club over the winter when we were unsure if there would even be a Knights team in League 1.  Their start wasn’t great but they’ve built up confidence and made the promotion Play-offs for a fourth consecutive season.

My prediction: Whitehaven to win by 6+ points

LEAGUE 1 SHIELD FINAL

Hunslet Hawks v London Skolars

Sunday, 24 September 2017 – 15:00pm

The final Play-off match this weekend sees a ‘best-of-the-rest’ shoot-out between Hunslet and London Skolars.  Hunslet’s only defeat in this section came away to North Wales Crusaders in Round Three and only secured the home final last weekend thanks to a six point victory over the Skolars.  They will face a tough game on Sunday against an in form London side smarting from defeat at the weekend.

The Skolars had won an impressive eight consecutive matches up until last weekend and will be disappointed to have let home advantage slip for this final match of the season.  They will travel to the South Leeds Stadium fully confident they can claim their first ever trophy in the professional game.

My prediction: Hunslet to win by 2+ points

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Amateur Focus - Part 5

Amateur Focus - Part 5

Over the next few weekends we’ll see all the National Conference League clubs completing their regular season.  Celebrations have begun already in the lower leagues whilst Siddal rounded off another fantastic campaign last weekend.

Premier Division

As I said above it’s been another successful year for Siddal who will go into the Play-offs as NCL Minor Premiers for the second consecutive season.  They will aim to go all the way and make a third successive appearance in the Premier Division Grand Final and keep hold of the trophy they won against Leigh Miners Rangers last October.

Having finished their league fixtures alongside Rochdale Mayfield at the weekend they’ll have a couple of weeks off now before they return to the field in pursuit of that goal.

Joining them in the Playoffs are second placed Thatto Heath Crusaders, third placed Mayfield, Wath Brow Hornets who are fourth, and the 2014 NCL champions West Hull.

Kells lie sixth with a game in hand on Egremeont Rangers and Myton Warriors so they will be favourites to claim that final Play-off spot.

At the bottom end of the table, Leigh Miners claimed only their third win of the season after succumbing to relegation the previous weekend, and it’s a three-way battle between Wigan St Patricks, Pilkington Recs and Skirlaugh for the final two relegation spots.  St Pats have a point advantage going into the final round of fixtures.

Division One

Moving into the second tier there are still a couple of weekends of fixtures remaining but Underbank Rangers and Hunslet Club Parkside sit nine points clear of the chasing pack and have claimed the two automatic promotion spots.

Milford Marlins are the only team to have claimed a Play-off spot so far whilst four teams will battle it out for the three other places over the next couple of weekends.  York Acorn are in pole position, a point ahead of both Lock Lane and Normanton Knights.  Seventh placed Ince Rose Bridge are a further three points behind but still mathematically have a chance of sneaking into the top six.

Shaw Cross Sharks can rest easy for another season as, even though they cannot make the Play-offs, they are safe from relegation.

Any three of the current bottom four cold still go down.  Bottom the of the league Blackbrook won at the weekend to move them six points behind safety, and with a game in hand can still mathematically remain in the division.

But safety should go the way of Hull Dockers who are three points above the drop zone.  Hunslet Warriors and Featherstone Lions are the two other teams still fighting for survival.

Division Two

Three teams are still in contention of claiming one of the two automatic promotion spots in Division Two with one round left to play.  Oulton Raiders are top as it stands – a point ahead of Thornhill Trojans and four ahead of third placed Wigan St Judes.

Because of St Judes’ game in hand they could still claim top spot and effectively drop Oulton into the Play-offs if Thornhill also win their last game but with such a far superior points difference the Raiders are all but there.

Bradford Dudley Hill are also guaranteed a Play-off place for the end of the year.  Fifth placed East Leeds and sixth placed Askam are level on points and both four points above Crosfields.  Askam and Crossfields do have a game in hand so East Leeds will be watching their results closely if this weekend goes against them.

At the bottom, Millom will join Salford City Roosters in the bottom tier in 2018 after their home defeat to St Judes put them five points behind Leigh East with one game to play.  Also safe are Saddleworth Rangers and Drighlington.

Division Three

Because Elland and Rylands Sharks resigned mid-way through the season, there are still three weekends of fixtures to play in this division.  However, West Bowling made sure of their automatic promotion with victory at the weekend but can still be caught for the title by Stanningley who lie four points behind in second.

As they have played a game less than Desbury Moor Maroons above them, Eastmoor Dragons can still claim not only automatic promotion, but also the league title as they are six points behind Wests with three games to play.  Moor Maroons are level on points with Eastmoor but have played a game more and sit a place above them on points’ difference.

Moor Maroons can still claim the second automatic promotion spot though, as can fifth placed Woolston Rovers and are both guaranteed at least a Play-off spot.

Sixth placed Gateshead Storm can’t finish higher than fifth but can still be caught by any of Oldham St Annes, Clock Face Miners and Barrow Island for that final top six position – so it’s all to play for as we go into the final three weeks.

Dewsbury Celtic and Stanley Rangers are nine points behind the Islanders but both should avoid finishing bottom as Waterhead Warriors have only two points to their name thanks to a four point deduction received earlier in the campaign.

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Focus On ... The Play-offs

Focus On ... The Play-offs

With just two or three games remaining from the Super 8’s down to the National Conference Leagues the Play-off positions are starting to really take shape.  I’ll take a look here across the leagues at what teams we will continue to watch once the regular season has been completed.

SUPER 8’S

Castleford Tigers wrapped up the Super League League-Leaders Shield in mid-August following their Thursday night home win over Wakefield Trinity, and they cemented that place at the weekend with another fine victory over Huddersfield Giants.  With a home Semi Final tie guaranteed against the team finishing in fourth they should be favourites to reach Old Trafford.

Ten points behind the Tigers are Leeds Rhinos who sit in second place as it stands.  Guaranteed a Play-off spot after beating third placed Hull FC last weekend, they still need two points to finish second and have a home advantage in the Semi Finals.  A win over Castleford this weekend would do just that.

Hull FC and Wakefield Trinity still sit third and fourth in the Super 8’s group but with three games still to go, all four of the remaining teams have a chance of stealing those off them.

THE QUALIFIERS

The middle eight’s are a little bit more complicated although two teams are guaranteed to be in the Million Pound Game at least.

Those two sides are Warrington Wolves and Hull Kingston Rovers who sit first and second respectively with 100% records after four rounds.  They can still be knocked down a couple of places with Widnes Vikings breathing down their necks in third with six points, and Leigh Centurions and Catalans Dragons both desperate to find some end of season form as we enter the business end of the year.  However, neither Warrington or Hull KR can be caught by the bottom three.

Leigh and Catalans currently occupy the MPG places, with Leigh Sports Village hosting the tie if it stays as it is, but the three teams below them can still mathematically qualify if they can start winning some matches.  London Broncos and Featherstone Rovers have one point each and Halifax will need a miracle if they want to get there with no points so far.

CHAMPIONSHIP SHIELD

Now after four rounds of matches, the Play-off spots were all sealed following the Bank Holiday Round 3 results.  However, Toulouse Olympique cemented first place with a narrow victory over Oldham and they will host whoever finishes fourth from Sheffield Eagles and Dewsbury Rams.

Batley Bulldogs nilled the Rams at the weekend, a result that sealed their second place finish with two games to spare.  Seven points behind Toulouse and seven ahead of Sheffield they can no longer move up or down the ladder.

The Eagles currently sit third with a slight two point advantage over Dewsbury but the remaining fixtures could play a vital part in who finishes where.  Sheffield host Rochdale Hornets this weekend before a visit to Batley, whereas Dewsbury take on already relegated Bradford Bulls and Oldham in the final week, the other side currently occupying a relegation place.

Two big wins for the Rams could see them take third away from Sheffield and give them a shot at revenge against Batley for the 38-0 mauling they received on Sunday.

LEAGUE 1 SUPER 8’S

This section is slightly more intriguing what with all eight teams still having a mathematical chance of finishing in the Play-offs.

Starting at the top end, Toronto Wolfpack are just one win away from claiming the League 1 title and automatic promotion to next season’s Championship but if second placed Barrow Raiders can pull off a shock on the west coast of Canada this weekend they would be level on points with the Wolfpack going into the final round.

Both sides are obviously guaranteed a Play-off place at the end of the campaign, alongside third placed Whitehaven and fourth placed York City Knights, but with the Raiders four points clear they only need a point to secure second place from their final two fixtures.

Haven can’t finish any lower than third, which they will be pleased about even if York can take home a victory from their tie this weekend.  Victory for York will all but secure fourth placed for them, and another trip to West Cumbria, as Doncaster still have to travel to Toronto.

Doncaster will claim the final Play-off spot with a game to spare if they beat Newcastle Thunder this weekend.  Thunder claimed their first win in the Super 8’s with victory over Keighley Cougars at the weekend so will be confident of claiming another heartland scalp.  If they do they might just sneak into the Play-offs on the final weekend against York.

Keighley entertain Workington Town in the other game this weekend and defeat for either side will seal their fate of not making the Play-offs.

LEAGUE 1 SHIELD

With just two places up for grabs in the Shield Final from this group only three teams are still in contention of taking them.

As it stands London Skolars, who are unbeaten in this section, sit top of the table, a point ahead of Hunslet.  If both sides can win their respective games this weekend they will face a pre-Final rehearsal in Round 7 before the big game a week later.

North Wales Crusaders are the other side still in contention of making it to the Final however, even if they beat South Wales Ironmen on Saturday it may not be enough if London and Hunslet both win their matches against Gloucester and Hemel respectively.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE LEAGUE

Siddal’s impressive season continued last Saturday as their narrow victory over Rochdale Mayfield meant they will finish the Premier Division round-robin stage as Minor Premiers.  Despite second placed Thatto Heath Crusaders having a game in hand they remain five points behind with only two games remaining.

Mayfield and Wath Brow Hornets are guaranteed Play-off places whilst fifth placed West Hull will also feature in the end of season knock-outs but can still be caught by sixth placed Kells.  Myton Warriors are the only other team still in with a shout of taking a Play-off spot.

Meanwhile Underbank Rangers and Hunslet Club Parkside are both promoted to the Premier Division for next season whilst Milford Marlins are the only side guaranteed a Play-off place in Division One.

Oulton Raiders, Thornhill Trojans and Wigan St Judes will take part in the Division Two Play-offs at least, whilst West Bowling and Stanningley are the only sides guaranteed a top six finish in Division Three so far.