The final four have been confirmed in this year’s Betfred Championship Play-Offs series, with London Broncos, Newcastle Thunder, Doncaster RLFC and Oldham RLFC all just one win away from a place in the 2026 Championship Grand Final.
London and Newcastle secured direct passage to the Preliminary Finals by winning their respective Qualifying Finals in Week 2, while Doncaster and Oldham kept their Grand Final hopes alive by progressing through last weekend's Sudden Death Play-Offs.
On Saturday, Thunder will host the Dons after earning another week off through a 34-16 victory over Widnes Vikings in the Qualifying Finals.
Meanwhile, Doncaster’s route has included some of the most eye-catching performances of the Play-Offs. The Dons opened with a 72-0 victory over Barrow Raiders in Week 1 before falling to London Broncos in the Qualifying Final.
But Richard Horne's side bounced back in style last weekend, again defeating Barrow 56-12 to reach the Preliminary Finals.
Having already secured victories over Barrow twice in the Play-Offs, Doncaster now face arguably their toughest test yet as they travel to Newcastle with a place in the Grand Final at stake.
Doncaster will, however, take confidence from their previous meeting with Thunder this season, having edged Newcastle 24-22 in Round 2 of the Challenge Cup competition back in January.
Thunder are in red hot form though, having won their last sixteen matches.
On Sunday, League Leaders' Shield winners London Broncos return to action after a weekend off, having booked their place in the Preliminary Finals with a convincing 42-6 victory over Doncaster in Week 2.
The Broncos ran in eight tries that afternoon, to book their spot in last four.
Their opponents, Oldham, arrive in the capital after taking the longer route through the Play-Offs. Defeat to Widnes Vikings in the opening week saw the Roughyeds drop into the Elimination Finals, but they responded with a 46-16 victory over Midlands Hurricanes before edging past Widnes 16-20 in a dramatic Golden Point encounter at the Sudden Death stage.
The two sides have experienced contrasting journeys through the Play-Offs so far, but both now stand one game away from the Grand Final.
It’s worth noting that the Roughyeds are the only team to have beaten Jason Demetriou’s Broncos in 2026, with an emphatic 34-24 victory back in Round 24.
Could they be the team to stop the Broncos from securing a dream treble?
Just 80 minutes separate these four sides from a place in the 2026 Betfred Championship Grand Final, but which two teams will make it?
Betfred Championship Preliminary Finals:
Preliminary Final 1
London Broncos v Oldham RLFC - Sunday 27 September (K.O. 3pm)
Preliminary Final 2
Newcastle Thunder v Doncaster RLFC - Saturday 26 September (K.O. 5pm)
Photo Credit: Newcastle Thunder
