York kept their Play-Off hopes alive in the Betfred Championship with a huge win on the road against a struggling Whitehaven. Nikau Williams got a hat-trick in his 100th career appearance as the Knights claimed a fourth consecutive victory.
There were two other shut-outs in Round 22, with Bradford Bulls running rampant against a relegated Dewsbury, while Wakefield Trinity put 60 points past Swinton.
The Bulls made it back-to-back wins as they continue to chase down second place, and Ky Rodwell scored three tries for table toppers Trinity.
Toulouse returned to winning ways in the south of France, thanks to a strong second half performance. Sheffield made life difficult for the French side in the firsty forty and were trailing by just two points at the break, but three further Toulouse tries would seal a win for the hosts.
The Eagles have slipped to sixth place and could be at risk of falling outside the top six in the upcoming weeks, with York hunting them down in seventh.
It was a gutsy affair at the Fox's Biscuits Stadium as Batley came close against Widnes. There were just three tries scored and splendid defensive displays produced by both outfits.
The Vikings were leading by ten points in the closing stages, but the Bulldogs' Nyle Flynn powered over from close range to set up a grandstand finish. Despite piling on the pressure, Widnes heroically held out for the two points.
Meanwhile, Doncaster fell agonisingly short against Halifax losing to a James Woodburn-Hall drop goal at the death.
With just four regular rounds remaining, Batley and Doncaster will have to rely on the results from others around them if they are to be within a shot of the Play-Offs - their chances looking slightly more faint following Round 22.
Finally, Featherstone continued their fine form and made it five wins on the spin when they faced Barrow on Sunday. Level on points with Sheffield, the Rovers will have to keep winning to secure their Play-Off spot. And with teams in and around the top six still left to play each other, it looks like we could be in for an explosive final few rounds...
Betfred Championship Round 22 results:
Bradford Bulls 54 Dewsbury Rams 0
Toulouse Olympique 32 Sheffield Eagles 12
Batley Bulldogs 8 Widnes Vikings 12
Swinton Lions 0 Wakefield Trinity 60
Featherstone Rovers 36 Barrow Raiders 18
Whitehaven 0 York Knights 40
Doncaster RLFC 16 Halifax Panthers 17
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
