The Betfred Championship returns for Round 8 following a week’s pause for the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup semi-finals.
The round will kick off on Saturday with Toulouse and Barrow facing off in France – two of the five sides level on six league points.
The French side have inflicted heavy defeats over the Raiders in recent seasons but have struggled with consistency in this year’s campaign. Both enter this game on the back of decent wins in Round 7 with the winner of this weekend’s game having a chance to push into the top six.
There will be an action-packed Sunday in West Yorkshire when Wakefield Trinity, who are leading the way at the top of the table, welcome Swinton Lions to the city.
Daryl Powell’s men secured their first Wembley return since 1979 with a win over Bradford in the 1895 Cup semis last Sunday, and now their focus will revert firmly back on the league for the next few weeks – ahead of Finals Day.
The Swinton club haven’t managed to win on Trinity’s home patch since 1964, with their last meeting there dating all the way back to 1998. Fast forward to 2024 and they’ve been one the surprise packages in the second tier this year - as they look to improve on their tenth-place finish last season.
Meanwhile, Bradford are back in action at Bartercard Odsal and will play hosts to Sheffield Eagles in an enticing Round 8 clash.
The Bulls exited the 1895 Cup last weekend after being beaten by Wakefield and will now take on the other confirmed finalists in the Championship competition – Mark Aston’s high-flying Eagles.
A third Wembley trip awaits the Sheffield club, but they have two rounds of Championship to concentrate on first – starting with a tough trip to Bradford.
The sides last met in the final round of the 2023 regular season with a Jordan Lilley drop goal the only thing separating the two teams, as the Bulls clinched a dramatic 16-17 victory.
It's all to play for as a win for Bradford, who currently sit in fifth spot, would create breathing space between themselves and the teams below, but Sheffield will also have eyes on challenging and chasing down Wakefield at the top.
Dewsbury Rams are at home to Featherstone Rovers for the first time since 2022 and will be aiming to avoid a sixth straight loss.
It was a much improved performance by the Rams against Toulouse in Round 7 who were impressively leading 19-10 at half-time. A late resurgence from the French side, however, would see them go on to claim the two points at the FLAIR Stadium but there were still plenty of positives for Paul March’s men to take moving forward.
With better execution and a full 80 minute performance, the Rams could be in with a chance against the Rovers on Sunday, although it is an in-form Featherstone who have won on their last seven visits to Dewsbury.
Can the hosts deny Featherstone their fifth straight win?
There’s a battle near the bottom end of the table when York and Halifax go head-to-head at the LNER Community Stadium with both determined to seek a winning result. It was one a piece in the league in 2023 and with immense pressures on both outfits to start performing, we could witness a gritty affair.
Another competitive Round 8 fixture will see Doncaster entertain Batley in their first meeting since 2019. Then, across the Pennines, Widnes will take on Cumbria's Whitehaven - looking to continue their unbeaten home run at the DCBL Stadium in 2024.
Betfred Championship Round 8 fixtures:
Toulouse Olympique v Barrow Raiders
York Knights v Halifax Panthers
Doncaster RLFC v Batley Bulldogs
Dewsbury Rams v Featherstone Rovers
Widnes Vikings v Whitehaven RLFC
Bradford Bulls v Sheffield Eagles
Wakefield Trinity v Swinton Lions
The full fixture list for the Betfred Championship and all of the relevant information and kick-off times can be found here.
Photo Credit: TCF Photography and Dewsbury Rams
