We've reached the penultimate round where certain results could determine the League Leaders' Shield and final Play-Off places this weekend...
Buckle yourselves in for the penultimate round of the Betfred Championship!
Tensions are at an all-time high and the excitement is building, with plenty of permutations possible in Round 25.
York Knights could secure the League Leaders’ Shield on Sunday, but only if they can win and Toulouse fail to win their game on Saturday.
The Knights are away in Doncaster, against Richard Horne’s side who must-win to keep their Play-Off chances alive. A loss for Doncaster would make it impossible for them to reach the six at this stage.
Their last outing saw Mark Applegarth’s men well and truly thrash the Dons 66-0, but with everything on the line for both sides this weekend, who will emerge victorious?
Will the Knights be celebrating, or will the Shield race go down to the final week?
York will have to await their fate, however, as the day before, Toulouse are at home to Batley.
The French side need win to keep up the title pace, and although they are favourites to do so in the south of France, they cannot afford any complacency in Saturday’s contest, despite having won the last seven home meetings with the Bulldogs.
Meanwhile, third-placed Bradford Bulls will travel to the English capital on Saturday. The Bulls are still chasing second spot – something which would also guarantee a home Semi-Final.
5th then meets 4th at the Millenium Stadium. Oldham have already confirmed their Play-Off spot for 2025, as well as a fourth-place finish.
This ensures them a home Eliminator in the Play-Offs.
They face Featherstone in Round 25, who will be aiming for back-to-back wins to secure their place in the top six.
Their Round 6 meeting played out a thriller with the Roughyeds holding out in a high-scoring 30-28 affair.
Then, it’s there’s another standout clash when Halifax meet Widnes. The Panthers are currently sitting in sixth spot, with the Vikings just one point below them.
A dramatic 24-24 draw unfolded in the teams’ most recent encounter, so we should certainly expect more nerve-shredding action this time round.
It's all to play for and a Play-Off place is Halifax’s to lose. This means their destiny is in their own hands-on Sunday.
Can Widnes leapfrog them at the second to final hurdle?
Finally, Hunslet meet with Sheffield.
Betfred Championship Round 25 fixtures:
London Broncos v Bradford Bulls
Toulouse Olympique v Batley Bulldogs
Doncaster v York Knights
Featherstone Rovers v Oldham
Halifax Panthers v Widnes Vikings
Hunslet v Sheffield Eagles
Barrow Raiders – Bye Week
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The Betfred Championship’s full fixture list can be found here.
Photo Credit: Halifax Panthers
