The penultimate round of the Kingstone Press Championship came and went with us none the wiser as to which two sides will join Leigh Centurions and London Broncos in the middle eight’s to take on Leeds Rhinos, Huddersfield Giants, Salford Red Devils and Hull KR for next season’s Super League places.

The big games looked to be between Halifax and Featherstone, Bradford and Oldham and Batley and London as four sides jostled for the remaining two places.

It was to be a dramatic Sunday.

The opening game of the round was played on Friday night with a humdinger between Sheffield Eagles and Leigh Centurions in a game which saw the lead change hands four times. Sheffield led through Yere but McNally narrowed the gap. Straughier and Wheeldon pushed Sheffield into a 16-4 lead after twenty-one but by half-time tries from Armstrong and Ridyard put the visitors two points ahead. Chappell regained Sheffield’s lead on fifty-two but Dixon levelled the scores on fifty-five. Harper put Leigh ahead on sixty-two but within two minutes a second from Yere again saw the sides level 28-28. An Aston penalty on seventy-three put the Eagles back in the lead but a try from Hock two minutes from time sealed a 34-30 Leigh win.

Batley kept themselves well and truly in the hunt for a top four finish with a great 31-20 win over second placed London Broncos. Kear had given London the lead but two first half tries from Ainscough and one from Squires meant that the home side went into the sheds with a 14-4 lead. Hellewell narrowed the lead on forty three but a brace in two minutes from Brambini saw Batley to 24-8. Pewhairangi got one of fifty-five but Gledhill answered for Batley. Offerdahl got the last try of the game for London on sixty-eight but the final scoring action of the game was a Brambini drop goal to keep Batley one point ahead of the other three teams and knowing that a win away at Swinton will guarantee a middle eights place.

Bradford Bulls lifted themselves into fourth spot with a big 44-12 win over Oldham Roughyeds. Tries from Welham, Caro, Heggarty amnd Philbin saw two responses from Blagbrough and Ward to give the Bulls an 18-12 half time lead. The second half was one-way traffic with Caro adding four more tries to his first half effort for a five try haul and Ryan scoring in the last minute for 44-12. Bradford Now need just a draw against Featherstone next week to secure their place in the middle eights.

Featherstone and Halifax had a battle royal at the New Shay with Rovers emerging with the spoils and demoting Halifax from the top four. Ellis and Goulding tries for Featherstone followed a Tyrer penalty for 12-2 but before half time Robinson and Johnson scored for Halifax for a two point half time lead. A Taulapapa try and a Briggs penalty put Featherstone 18-14 up before a Cahalane try and Murrell conversion gave the home side a 20-18 lead. Ormondroyd scored for Rovers on sixty-seven and after the Briggs conversion the visitors held on for a 24-10 win. Both sides will need others to slip up next week to allow them into the middle eights.

Dewsbury and Swinton had little to play for and Walshaw, Morton and Groat all scored in the opening ten minutes to put the Rams 16-0 ahead. Marshall and Lloyd scored for Swinton before the interval but so did Kain for Dewsbury and at the break they led by 24-10. Marshall added his second to get Swinton back within eight points but two tries from Tonks secured the two points for the Rams with a 34-16 final score.

The Cumbrian derby was hosted by Workington where a Partick try and four goals gave the home side a 12-0 lead over Whitehaven. Newton and Yates scored in the opening seven minutes of the second half to tie up the scores before Sammut put Workington 18-12 ahead. Calvert narrowed the margin to two before Patrick made it 24-16. Brocklebank and Gore scored in the last two minutes to edge Whitehaven ahead at 28-24 before a try in the dying seconds from Mossop secured a home win after Sammut added the conversion for 30-28.

For Batley, Bradford, Halifax and Featherstone there is everything still to play for next weekend. It should be one hell of a final round.