Week 1 of the Betfred Championship Play-Offs got underway this weekend, with four ties taking place.
And with this year’s Play-Off format offering losing teams of the Qualifying Semi-Finals a second chance, there is still plenty to play for as the race to the Betfred Championship Grand Final kicked off.
Here's what’s happened in the opening week…
Midlands Hurricanes booked their place in the next round with a seven-try display against Whitehaven in Eliminator 1 on Saturday.
A commanding first-half performance laid the platform for victory, with Lewis Else crossing for a hat-trick as the Canes secured an impressive win, while Haven bowed out of the Play-Offs.
Sunday then saw a bruising encounter between two of the competition's heavyweights as Oldham and Widnes Vikings faced off in the first Qualifying Semi-Final.
The lead changed hands throughout an absorbing 80 minutes, but it was Nathan Connell's decisive try that edged the Vikings back in front at Boundary Park.
Danny Richardson then added a conversion and a late penalty goal to seal victory for the visitors.
Doncaster also made a statement in Week 1, producing a convincing home performance in the second Qualifying Semi-Final against Barrow Raiders.
The Dons ran in twelve tries, with Watson Boas, Alex Sutcliffe, Tom Whitehead and Isaac Misky all scoring braces in a truly dominant display.
It was also a memorable afternoon for scrum-half Connor Robinson. As well as landing all twelve of his goal attempts, Robinson etched his name into the history books by setting a new world record for consecutive successful goal kicks with 52 and counting.
Having gone into the game chasing the previous record of 41, he not only broke the mark but surpassed it in remarkable fashion.
In the second Eliminator, Sheffield Eagles and Batley Bulldogs’ encounter served up a tale of two halves. Trailing 4-16 just after interval, the Eagles mounted a superb comeback to claim a seven-point victory.
Two late tries from Kieran Gill and Joe Brown turned the contest on its head before Jordan Abdull's drop goal ensured a result for Sheffield.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs’ 2026 campaign comes to an end.
Betfred Championship Play-Offs Week 1 fixtures:
Qualifying Semi-Final 1 - Oldham RLFC 24 Widnes Vikings 30
Qualifying Semi-Final 2 - Doncaster RLFC 72 Barrow Raiders 0
Eliminator 1 - Sheffield Eagles 25 Batley Bulldogs 18
Eliminator 2 - Midlands Hurricanes 36 Whitehaven RLFC 4
Betfred Championship Play-Offs Week 2:
Qualifying Final 1 – London Broncos v Doncaster RLFC
Qualifying Final 2 – Newcastle Thunder v Widnes Vikings
Elimination Final 1 - Oldham RLFC v Midlands Hurricanes
Elimination Final 2 - Barrow Raiders v Sheffield Eagles
Photo Credit: Doncaster RLFC
