THE Ireland Rugby League season reaches its penultimate stage on Saturday with the qualifying semi-finals.
Four teams are targeting the Grand Final – the Irish League’s 30th – which will be played on Saturday, August 15 at Garda Westmanstown RUFC, Dublin.
Banbridge Broncos and Dublin City Exiles go head-to-head at Portadown RFC, while Galway Tribes and Longhorns RL clash at Claddagh Galway in the other last-four game.
Each side will go into their fixture fresh, having come off a blank week because of the Irish Bank Holiday.
CRAIG BEST, the treasurer of Ireland Rugby League, looks at the hopefuls:
DEFENDING champions BANBRIDGE BRONCOS return to the semi-finals with a point to prove.
The Broncos looked every inch title contenders for much of the regular season, finishing with four wins from six and boasting one of the competition’s most dangerous attacking threats in Eoin Ratchford, whose 58 points have been instrumental throughout the campaign.
Jon Sturgeon has also continued his eye for the try-line, crossing five times to lead the Broncos’ scoring chart.
However, their season ended on a sour note. A humbling 70-30 home defeat to Galway Tribes in the final round raised genuine questions about whether the Broncos have what it takes to defend the crown they won so impressively in 2025.
Champions are judged on how they respond to setbacks, not how they celebrate victories. With experienced captain Johnny Dunlop leading the side and veteran Wayne Kelly using every inch of his experience, Banbridge will be determined to show that one bad afternoon does not define their season. Write them off at your peril.
GALWAY TRIBES are arguably the competition’s most unpredictable side – but, on their day, perhaps most dangerous.
No team have produced more impressive away performances this season. The Tribes stunned Banbridge with that commanding 70-30 victory before travelling to Longhorns RL and claiming another statement win.
Yet inconsistency has prevented them from finishing top. A home draw against Dublin City Exiles was an opportunity missed, while a dramatic defeat to Longhorns in their final fixture – after a last-minute conversion attempt drifted wide — means they enter the finals looking to rediscover their best form.
Captain Tyler Cotterill has led from the front all season, topping the club scoring chart with 34 points, while powerful centre Cam Carruthers has crossed for five tries.
Keep an eye on Abdulhaq Abayomi, whose ability to break tackles and change a game in an instant makes him one of the competition’s most dangerous attacking weapons.
If Galway can reproduce the form that dismantled the defending champions, they’ll believe they can beat anyone.
For the first time in years, LONGHORNS RL head into the finals as something of an unknown quantity.
Five-time champions and the dominant force in Irish Rugby League over the past three seasons, Longhorns have endured a campaign unlike any in recent memory.
Injuries and suspensions have severely disrupted their season, with key figures such as Conor Colman, Jake Murray, Shane Clarke and Liam Coyne all missing significant periods.
The result has been a conceded fixture and two surprise home defeats, something almost unheard of for this side.
Despite the setbacks, there have been flashes of the Longhorns team who dominated Irish Rugby League in recent years.
They travelled to Dublin City and Cork Bulls, producing commanding victories before ending the regular season with an impressive away win over Galway, a result which served as a timely reminder of their quality.
James Buckeridge and Hamish Walker (the latter top-scoring with 22 points) have led the way with five tries, but Longhorns’ biggest strength has always been the depth of talent and experience throughout the squad. If some of their established stars return at the right time, few teams will relish facing them.
No team has transformed its season quite like DUBLIN CITY EXILES.
The Exiles suffered defeats to Cork and Longhorns in their opening two fixtures, leaving them facing the prospect of an elimination series just to keep their season alive.
Since then, they’ve been one of the competition’s stand-out performers. A statement victory over reigning champions Banbridge announced their revival, while they looked set for another famous win away to Galway before letting a twelve-point lead slip and having to settle for a draw.
The elimination series summed up their resilience. Forced to concede match two due to player availability, they responded by defeating Cork comfortably in both home fixtures to book their place in the preliminary final.
Mannie Akpan has been one of the competition’s most dangerous finishers with six tries, while Antoine Lannegrand’s 42 points have provided consistency with the boot and in open play.
After recovering from a tough opening fortnight, confidence is growing with every performance. The Exiles arrive believing they’re capable of upsetting anyone.
Fixtures
Saturday, August 8
Qualifying semi-finals: Banbridge Broncos v Dublin City Exiles (at Portadown RFC); Galway Tribes v Longhorns (at Claddagh Galway).