DOWN to the wire!
That’s the 2026 Men’s Military Inter-Services competition, which will be resolved at Heworth on Saturday.
The British Army and the Royal Navy will head to York for the closing fixture aware that either the RAF or the Army (but not the Navy, who were the 2025 champions) can top the final table.
The Army, who drew 22-22 with the RAF at Stanningley, will have to win by at least six points to be able to knock the Blue Bombers, who beat the Navy 30-18 at Portsmouth in the series opener, off pole position.
A real thriller is therefore in prospect, with the Navy no doubt determined to close on a high and take second spot.
Meanwhile Saturday’s hosts Heworth have fallen through the trapdoor in the National League Premier Division, after losing at home to Waterhead Warriors on Saturday.
They will join basement outfit Rochdale Mayfield (who seemed to be unfortunate losers across town at York Acorn on the same afternoon, incidentally, when a second draw between the teams had looked likely) in the Regional Conferences next year.
Commiserations, too, to Pilkington Recs, who will join Oldham St Annes in being relegated from the National League First Division after losing at the self-same St Annes, who pulled off a notable double to at least go into their last game of the season, at East Leeds on Saturday, on something of a high.
Promotion from Division One is going right down to the wire.
Dewsbury Moor are no longer able to come top, but the Maroons threw a right old spanner into the works by battling back from 18-6 down to draw with Dewsbury Celtic, who are no longer in pole position.
That role (which carries with it automatic promotion) is now filled by Kells on, by my calculations, a four-point differential in the points difference column.
Whoever is elevated to the Premier Division as of right will be determined this Saturday when, fittingly – and you couldn’t make this up – the sides go head-to-head in Dewsbury.
What a finale to the regular season that will be, while the loser will have the chance to secure promotion through the play-offs.
On the subject of play-offs, by the way, the National League’s championship itself will be decided by a knockout series involving the top six.
Each of the teams can, I reckon, go all the way.
Wath Brow Hornets haven’t perhaps had the best of seasons, but the Cumbrians, who have only lost one of their last six games, are hitting form at the right time and impressively edged Siddal – another side I fancy – in Halifax on Saturday.
Hunslet ARLFC, meanwhile, snatched a draw at leaders West Hull a couple of days ago to suggest that they too could go all the way, while Wests, who hadn’t previously dropped a point, no longer quite have that invincible look about them.
Thatto Heath, who have picked up eleven points out of twelve in their last six outings, and Waterhead (with five out of eight in their last four fixtures) absolutely cannot be discounted.
Final positions for Waterhead, Siddal and Thatto will depend on this week’s results. Whoever faces who, I expect real fireworks when the knockout stages arrive on Saturday week.
Who will be coming up from the Regional Conferences remains to be seen.
Results in the Cross-Conference Play-Offs, which reach their climax at the group stages on Saturday, are not necessarily all that easy to come by, as related by reader Paul Hudson, who was at last week’s Group E game between Kippax Welfare and Bradford Dudley Hill.
I wonder whether any other readers have had similar experiences. What I do know is that, given print deadlines, I don’t really have the time to keep referring back to the RFL website to establish whether what all too often seems to be a plethora of missing results have – or haven’t – surfaced.
It’s a shambles, frankly, and I pine for the days when leagues had volunteers in place who were very eager to chase any missing scores (not to mention reports) and pass them on to people such as me.
I’m grateful, however, to the RFL’s estimable Tim White, who emailed fixtures early on Sunday morning for the quarter-finals of the Cross-Conference and Shield competitions, stressing as he did so that home advantage in the CCPOs rests with group winners and, in the Shield, higher-placed sides.
Much more uplifting is the news that the Wales Wheelchair squad has already hit half of the £10,000 cost of taking part in next month’s World Cup in Australia.
One last big push should ensure that the remaining £5,000 is raised. And I’m sure League Express readers will, where they can, do their very best to help.
Meanwhile, I followed up a bit of a mystery this week – why has the College League South only got one team (Sigma Sixth Form) in it?
I think Sigma have been similarly isolated for two or three years and, consequently, have to play in festivals or take part in Nines competitions.
I take my hat off to them, I really do. They seem to be another example of the sheer enthusiasm for Rugby League in the south of England, and not least in Essex, where I think they’re based.
Eastern Rhinos, of Colchester, are a grand club who are competitive in the Southern Conference and have a number of junior teams in the London and East League.
It’s worth keeping an eye on Sigma’s progress, I reckon.
And it’s worth making a note in diaries for a fantastic event which will again be taking place towards the end of November.
It’s the Leeds and District League’s annual reunion which, as always, will be held at the Irish Centre on York Road, Leeds.
The 2026 bash is set for Friday, November 20 and that grand veteran Alan Smith, of Leeds and Great Britain fame, is chief guest.
Tickets at a fiver can be ordered from Glenn Davies on 07801 063797 or Sam Horner (07780 676132). My advice is – get on the blower now!
Image: BFBS