Round Twenty of the Betfred Championship gave the Toronto Wolfpack their opportunity to secure top spot going in to the middle eights but also threw up a game between Halifax and Featherstone Rovers which would go some way to determining who would join them in the top four.
Elsewhere Toulouse and London had their own top four, four pointer, as the two sides met in the South of France.
Leigh knew that anything other than a victory at Batley would be a disaster while Dewsbury faced Barrow and Rochdale hosted Swinton in the competition for the lower places.
Toronto Wolfpack romped to a guaranteed top spot with three league games to spare as they secured a big 68-4 win over the travelling Eagles. Stanley and Brierley had put Toronto 12-0 ahead before Spedding scored Sheffield’s only try of the day. Beswick, Whiting and Higson added tries for a 28-4 interval lead. The second half was all one-way traffic with tries from; Higson, Rawsthorne, Wallace, Ackers, Stanley, Kay and Dixon, O’Brien adding six second half conversions, to seal the big win.
It was a humdinger of a game in Toulouse where neither side will have been totally happy with the 20-20 draw. An opening Mika try was answered by Cunningham but moments later Ader added Toulouse’s second for a 12-6 half time lead. A Dixon try levelled the scores on fifty-five but a Kheirallah penalty and a Centrone converted try put the home side 20-12 ahead. Battye scored an unconverted try on seventy to leave his side four adrift and Dixon got his second to level the scores five minutes from time. Once again London couldn’t convert and the points were shared, London still two league points adrift of Toulouse and in danger of not making the top four.
Leigh got a real scare against Batley in their must win game. Tomlinson had given the home side a 6-0 lead on four minutes and when Acton was sent off on twenty for a clumsy tackle it was an uphill struggle for the Centurions. A Campbell try on thirty six made it 10-0 before Bergal struck back for Leigh two minutes from the interval. Batley kicked a penalty goal on the stroke of half-time for a 12-4 half time lead. The second half was dominated by the Centurions with tries from Bailey, Hansen (2), Reynolds and a second from Bergal giving Leigh an easy 30-12 win, the Centurions now two league points and sixty-four points difference off the fourth spot occupied by Featherstone Rovers.
Halifax and Featherstone met at the MBi Shay knowing that whoever secured the two points would be in the box seat for a top four finish and inclusion in the middle eights. Sharp put ‘Fax into an early lead before Tualapapa levelled the scoring. A second from Sharp and one from Johnston gave the home side a 16-8 interval lead which Tangata extended after the break. Hardcastle pulled one back for Fev’ on sixty two for 22-14 but Kaye and Moss sealed the Halifax win. A last minute Robinson consolation would have done little to lighten the Rovers mood as they now look nervously over their shoulders from fourth at the chasing pack.
The Dewsbury Rams edged a little closer to Barrow thanks to a narrow 22-20 win where they outscored their opponents by four tries to two. Tanby opened the home account but While scored for Barrow, alongside four Dallimore kicks for a 12-6 half time lead to the visitors. Day and Potts put the Rams 16-12 ahead before a converted Parata try and another Dallimore penalty put Barrow 20-16 ahead. A Walshaw try on seventy three, converted by Glover stole the points for the home side.
It was also a close game at Rochdale where the bottom placed Hornets managed a 28-26 win over second bottom Swinton. Tyson and Brown gave the visitors a 12-0 lead within the opening eight minutes before Rochdale got into their stride. Tries for Talatoka, Lepori and Taira took the home side to sixteen points but three Hankinson penalties meant that it was Swinton who held an 18-16 half time lead. Another Hankinson penalty and a Jones try extended that lead to 26-16 before converted tries from King and Smith stole the home win in the last two minutes.
