Championship Talk: Cracking Comp

fevnut's blog is absolutely delighted to have received permission to bring you a regular column from Gareth Walker.

Gareth is a top rugby league journalist who has one very exceptional distinction. He chooses to write about matters pertaining to the Championship and League One.

Although this blog is devoted to Featherstone Rovers it is always good to read opinions about matters relevant to us, but not specifically about us. We hope you enjoy reading Gareth's column each week.

Cracking comp

JUST over a month into the new season and the Betfred Championship is shaping up to be a terrific competition in 2018.

          Three teams are at the top on eight points: Toulouse, London and Featherstone.

          With the teams having played anything between three and five games, due to postponements, there is only one undefeated side in London Broncos.

          Danny Ward’s team were hugely impressive in accounting for much-fancied Toronto and Featherstone, who have both since bounced back with eye-catching wins themselves.

          The trio are joined in the top four by Toulouse Olympique, who are currently top after their latest home demolition job, this time over Rochdale.

          The French side’s only defeat to date has come at Featherstone, and the addition of William Barthau and Sam Rapira has given coach Sylvain Houles a squad that looks well capable of making the Qualifiers this year.

          Just outside the four front runners lie Heavy Woollen duo Dewsbury and Batley, who both have only one defeat to date, to London and Leigh respectively.

          Coaches Neil Kelly and Matt Diskin will believe their teams can continue to make a top four challenge if they maintain some consistency.

          Mention then of the Centurions brings us to one of the stories of the Championship campaign so far.

          Given the high profile squad the club assembled in the close season, who could possibly have predicted that Leigh would lose four of their first five matches?

          That run contributed to the resignation of coach Neil Jukes, but his successor could not immediately arrest the slide as caretaker Kieron Purtill oversaw a 30-38 home defeat to Featherstone.

          Given that Halifax only lost seven games in total in finishing fourth in the regular season in 2017, Leigh don’t have a huge amount of room for error in the remainder of the league campaign if they want to make the Qualifiers again.

          Fax themselves have had a mixed start, winning twice from four, with coach Richard Marshall admitting he isn’t satisfied with how they’re playing.

          They are a point above promoted Barrow, who in drawing with Toronto and beating Leigh have made an above-expected start to the year.

          They face one of three winless sides this weekend in Rochdale, with Sheffield (at home to the Wolfpack) and Swinton (away at Featherstone) also looking for their first wins of 2018.

          The league looks as unpredictable and competitive as it’s ever been, and long may that continue.