Championship Talk: Plenty at stake

CHAMPIONSHIP TALK

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.

Plenty at stake

IT’S a huge weekend of action in both the Betfred Championship and League One, with a host of key issues ready to be settled.

       

The top five race in the second tier will be over if Sheffield and Bradford fail to win their respective fixtures at home to Barrow and away to Dewsbury.

       

There is a four-point gap between the sixth-placed Eagles and Featherstone one spot above them, and just two matches remaining after this weekend. The Bulls are a point further behind in seventh.

       

Rovers have a massive clash at fourth-placed York City Knights, with the winners assured of their top five spot.

       

Toulouse and Leigh are all but mathematically there already, but finishing places could yet be decisive and they entertain Batley and Widnes respectively.

       

The Vikings are not yet safe from relegation courtesy of their 12-point deduction for entering administration, and with the 1895 Cup final also only a week away, face a crucial few weeks.

       

Kieron Purtill’s side are three points above 13th placed Barrow Raiders, who must realistically win at Sheffield to keep their slim hopes of survival alive.

       

Given that one of Barrow’s remaining three fixtures is away at runaway leaders Toronto, coach Paul Crarey knows that nothing less than victory this weekend will do.

       

Defeat, and a Widnes win at Leigh, would condemn the Raiders to League One along with already relegated Rochdale.

       

In the third tier it’s also a big weekend for the promotion chasing clubs.

       

Three wins from three will assure Whitehaven of promotion as title winners, and their toughest fixture on paper is Sunday’s trip to Keighley.

       

Victory there would be a major step towards sealing top spot.

       

The race for play-off places behind them is now all but mathematically over, with seventh-placed London Skolars four points adrift and with two games left and over 200 points to make up on Workington.

       

But again places in the five-team system are heavily weighted towards finishing as high as possible, so there will still be plenty at stake over the final three weeks of the campaign.

       

The game of the weekend sees Oldham - fresh from their thrilling win over in-form Newcastle - host Doncaster.

       

The Roughyeds can still catch Haven at the top should the Cumbrians slip up and Scott Naylor’s side win their remaining three games.

       

Thunder look set for the play-offs now and they take on Coventry Bears.

       

Come 5pm on Sunday night, the picture on all of the above issues should be a lot clearer.