While Super League has served up some belting games so far, the Championship has arguably provided us even more drama.
Just three rounds into the Championship season and only one team remains unbeaten in the second tier, with Bradford Bulls the early pacesetters.
But other than the Bulls, the remaining eleven teams have all been jockeying for position, with surprising results coming in abundance.
On Sunday alone there were two surprising results, with Batley stunning the previously unbeaten Sheffield while Oldham picked up their first Championship win in over ten years when they defeated Dewsbury, who were also undefeated before that match.
We were almost provided another when London took a staggering 20-6 lead at Leigh, only for the well-fancied Centurions to come back fighting and snatch victory late on.
The unpredictability of the league so far is refreshing. For years the competition has been split in two and blowout scorelines have been the norm. There is still something of a split, but the cut-off lines within the competition are nowhere near as transparent as they once were. So far only one match has finished with a winning margin of over 40 points when Halifax defeated Whitehaven 52-6 on the first day of the campaign.
The progress the Championship has made over the last few years is staggering. The additions of Bradford and London have inevitably helped, but as a result it has seen clubs like Leigh, Halifax and Sheffield progress further. And beyond that now we are seeing the likes of Batley, London and even the two promoted teams, Oldham and Swinton, enter the competition looking like viable threats.
Even five years ago, the possibility of seeing Jarrod Sammut, Rangi Chase, Fui Fui Moi Moi, Lee Gaskell or Simon Grix ply their trade in the Championship was nil, now all of these players are doing just that.
It bodes well for the future of the competition and more so for the season ahead. Many believed the top four was set in stone before the start of the season, however it has already been proven that is not the case.
For Leigh, Bradford, Halifax and Sheffield, the prospects of a top-four spot are still in their sights, of course. However, with the likes of the Bulldogs, the Broncos and Featherstone already proving to be credible contenders, you can expect plenty of twists and turns throughout the next six months, starting with the mouthwatering game between Leigh and Bradford this weekend.
