We’re down to the final six teams in the Betfred Championship Play-Offs, and this weekend brings two huge Sudden Death Play-Offs as the race to the Grand Final continues.
Following Week 2, London Broncos and Newcastle Thunder have already secured their places in the Preliminary Finals, leaving Doncaster, Barrow Raiders, Widnes Vikings and Oldham battling to keep their seasons alive.
There is no room for error on Sunday. Win and move on to Week 4. Lose and the 2026 campaign is over.
Doncaster will enjoy home advantage in Sudden Death Play-Off 1 as they take on Barrow Raiders.
The Dons were one of the competition’s standout performers in Week 1, running riot in a 72-0 victory over Barrow, before seeing their momentum halted by League Leaders’ Shield winners London Broncos in the Qualifying Semi-Finals.
Despite the defeat in the capital, Doncaster have already shown throughout these Play-Offs they are more than capable of going all the way.
Barrow, meanwhile, bounced back impressively from that heavy loss in Week 1. The Raiders responded when it mattered most, overcoming Sheffield Eagles 26-10 in their Elimination Final to keep their hopes alive and earn a return trip to South Yorkshire.
The challenge for the Raiders will be finding a way to contain a Doncaster side that scored 12 tries when the teams met just two weeks ago.
However, Barrow showed plenty of character to recover from that setback, setting up what promises to be a fascinating rematch with a place in the Preliminary Finals on the line.
Over in Sudden Death Play-Off 2, Widnes Vikings host Oldham in what could be one of the ties of the Play-Offs so far.
These sides met in Week 1, when Widnes claimed an impressive 24-30 victory at Boundary Park thanks to a resilient display and a decisive late score from Nathan Connell.
The Vikings backed that win up with a spirited showing against Newcastle Thunder in Week 2, although Thunder ultimately pulled clear to progress directly into the Preliminary Finals.
Oldham, however, responded in emphatic fashion last weekend. After suffering the disappointment of their Qualifying Semi-Final defeat, they produced a convincing 46-16 win over Midlands Hurricanes in the Elimination Final, racing into an early lead and reminding everyone why they finished among the competition’s leading sides during the regular season.
With their previous Play-Off meeting decided by just six points, another closely fought encounter could be on the cards.
Widnes will take confidence from already overcoming Oldham once in the Play-Offs, while Oldham will be eager to gain revenge and move to within 80 minutes of the 2026 Grand Final.
By the end of the weekend, only four teams will remain. London Broncos and Newcastle Thunder are already waiting in the Preliminary Finals, but who will be joining them?
Betfred Championship Play-Offs Week 3 fixtures:
Both Sunday 20 September (K.O. 3pm)
Sudden Death Play-Off 1 – Doncaster RLFC v Barrow Raiders
Sudden Death Play-Off 2 – Widnes Vikings v Oldham RLFC
Week 4:
Preliminary Final 1 – London Broncos v Winner of Doncaster RLFC v Barrow Raiders
Preliminary Final 2 – Newcastle Thunder v Winner of Widnes Vikings v Oldham RLFC
