WEST HULL and Hunslet ARLFC will meet on Saturday at Wakefield Trinity’s DIY Kitchens Stadium to determine the destination of the inaugural National League PREMIER DIVISION title. 

Wests, who have already snared the League Leaders’ Shield, will be buoyed by the memory of their 8-0 win over Siddal in last season’s last-ever National Conference League Grand Final.

Siddal, who had topped the NCL table in 2024 and 2025 – only to miss out at the last stage of the knockout phase each time – travelled to Hull courtesy of a 30-22 victory at Thatto Heath in the elimination semi-finals.

But the competition’s fifth-placed side in 2026 were always on the back foot in the QUALIFYING SEMI-FINAL – in stark contrast to in the corresponding league fixtures, which ended 28-24 in Hull and 14-12 in Halifax, each time in Wests’ favour.

The Green and Golds were, on this occasion, 22-0 ahead after only 19 minutes, having posted tries by Elliott Jones, Corey Priestman (twice) and Kieren Masike.

That was how it stayed until a minute into the second period, when an Eligh Wilkinson effort stretched the lead to 26 points.

Danny Williams replied for the visitors, Jamie Greenwood improving, but touchdowns in the closing quarter for Kian Goodhand, Joe Sanderson and Harry Hutchinson – with Sanderson adding the last two of his five goals – eased Wests home before Mike Holmes claimed a consolation try for the visitors to make the final score 42-10. 

HUNSLET ARLFC ground out a 16-9 home win over WATERHEAD WARRIORS, who had prevailed 28-8 in the league clash in south Leeds but lost 28-12 in Oldham.

The Warriors went in front in the sixth minute, Kegan Brennan converting Matthew Holland’s try, only for Hunslet ARLFC to restore parity when Harry Shackleton improved Jack McShane’s 23rd-minute score. 

Brennan and Shackleton traded penalty-goals as the interval beckoned, with the former nosing Waterhead in front by 9-8 at half-time with a field-goal. 

Hunslet ARLFC, however, took the lead for the first time when Ben Shulver crashed over nine minutes after the restart, Shackleton converting.

And Shackleton made certain of the Yorkshire outfit’s berth in the final with a penalty-goal on 78 minutes.

There were surprise away wins in both of the DIVISION ONE PROMOTION PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINALS.

Champions DEWSBURY CELTIC lost 37-16 at home to OULTON RAIDERS, who had squeezed into the play-offs as the sixth-placed side and had only been included in Division One through Ince Rose Bridge’s decision to opt for the North West Conference instead. 

Oulton’s right to be only 80 minutes away from the top flight is, however, beyond doubt on the evidence of their triumph at Crow Nest Park.

Celtic, who had already earned promotion as champions, went in front through Tom Bottomley’s try, only for the Raiders to respond with touchdowns by Adrian Holdsworth and Alfie Hawkhead (all three were converted).

The hosts levelled with a try by Joel Gibson, who landed his second goal, but the visitors – who had emphatically lost both their league games to Celtic (32-2 in Dewsbury and 28-6 at Oulton) – established an 18-12 interval lead with Matty Stableford’s late touchdown and Archie Craggs’ third goal.

The Raiders dominated the second period with an early Noah Crawshaw touchdown and tries on 60 and 65 minutes by, respectively, Crawshaw and Noah Kershaw.

Craggs completed a six-from-six return with the boot before landing a field-goal from short range, prior to Josh Frain’s consolation try for Celtic.

EAST LEEDS, who fetched up at fourth, won 34-20 at second-placed KELLS, whose remaining hopes of promotion were extinguished when news came through of Oulton’s win.

A victory in the final by already-promoted Celtic would, under the Rugby Football League’s rules, have paved the way for Kells, as the league runners-up, to be elevated. 

The Whitehaven outfit, who had won the league fixture in Cumbria 62-4 but had lost 30-6 in Leeds, led 20-10 as the interval beckoned, thanks to a Clarke Chambers hat-trick, a Tyce Walmsley try and two Ross Gainford goals.

But Easts, who had recovered from Chambers’ opener to lead 10-6 with touchdowns for Ajay Wilson and Dave Gibbons, controlled the rest of the contest.

Gibbons’ second try, in the closing seconds of the first half, reduced the arrears at the break to 20-16.

And the visitors cruised home with unanswered touchdowns for Shane Plunkett (twice), Alfie Crawford and Wilson, while Luke Littlewood closed with three goals.

Easts’ Luke Mullen was yellow carded two minutes from time for a late challenge.

SCOREBOARD

Saturday 17 October

NATIONAL LEAGUES

GRAND FINAL PLAY-OFFS SEMI-FINALS
Hunslet ARLFC 16 Waterhead Warriors 9
West Hull 42 Siddal 10

DIVISION ONE
PROMOTION PLAY-OFFS SEMI-FINALS
Dewsbury Celtic 16 Oulton Raiders 37
Kells 20 East Leeds 34

CROSS-CONFERENCE PLAY-OFFS FINAL:
Ince Rose Bridge 38 Blackbrook 6
SHIELD FINAL: Myton Bears 18 Ashton Bears 12
Both at Bartercard Odsal Stadium, Bradford

Fixtures

Saturday 24 October

GRAND FINAL
Hunslet ARLFC v West Hull (3.00pm)
DIVISION ONE PROMOTION PLAY-OFF FINAL
East Leeds v Oulton Raiders (noon).
Both at the DIY Kitchens Stadium, Wakefield