THE 2025 National Conference League season reaches a climax on Saturday with the Grand Final at the Millennium Stadium, Featherstone.
Minor Premiers Siddal meet West Hull, who won at West Bowling in Saturday’s second qualifying semi-final.
That match, which kicks off at 2.30pm, will be preceded by the Division One Promotion Play-Off Final (12.30pm), in which Ince Rose Bridge face Stanningley for the right to join Wigan St Judes and Heworth in the top flight in 2026.
Elsewhere, Pilkington Recs entertain Hensingham in the Division Two Promotion Play-Off Final. The top two of East Leeds and Dewsbury Celtic have already secured Division One status.
Keighley Albion, Saddleworth and, via play-offs, Leigh East, have already earned elevation from Division Three.
Siddal, who are appearing in their second successive Grand Final, are still smarting after losing to Hunslet ARLFC, who were trailing at the break, last year.
Head coach Gareth English told League Express: “We weren’t in it in the early stages of the second half, it was as simple as that, and it cost us the game.
“We seemed to think that we had already done enough, but Hunslet controlled it. It was disappointing – of 44 games in the NCL, we’d only lost half-a-dozen.
“However, we’re aiming to right that wrong. Some of last year’s lads were in their first final, maybe it takes a loss in a final to win one.
“We were a very young side, and we deserved to be in the Grand Final. We had to shuffle our team around last year through injuries, but that’s Rugby League.
“The lads are now motivated to go one better and we’ve had two weeks to get it right and fix one or two things up.”
Speaking before the second qualifying semi-final, English said: “The conditions against West Bowling were atrocious, and I think we handled the pressure better. But the 26-0 scoreline is misleading. There was nothing between the teams after an hour.
“Both West Bowling and West Hull are very good sides, it will make no difference who we play, we’ll concentrate on ourselves.
“We can’t take previous games against either West Bowling or West Hull into consideration, they mean nothing.
“I’ll be taking in their semi-final before going to watch Jake Connor, who is of course one of our coaches, play for Leeds Rhinos (against St Helens).”
West Hull coach Ryan Steen was a key figure, as a player, for many years before taking over from Mark Hewitt.
He said, following the Green and Golds’ late win at West Bowling: “My first season at the helm has been a bit of a whirlwind, and it’s the icing on the cake of us to reach the Grand Final.
“I‘m very proud of what the players have done. West Bowling did very well to take second place in the table, above us, and it was a very tough game in Bradford.
“So many Rugby League games come down to fine margins but if we get the opportunities we can back ourselves.
“We beat Siddal narrowly at our place but they did a job on us in Halifax, when we gave them a 16-point start.
“They have our respect and have proved themselves to have been the best team in the NCL throughout the season as a whole, by finishing top of the league.
“But the championship itself comes down to what will happen in one game, during the 80 minutes at Featherstone on Saturday.
“We don’t bother too much about the opposition, I prefer to focus more on what we do. It’s about the fine details, such as set completion, discipline, kick-chases, and the kicking game.
“It’s a final, it’s a one-off, anything can happen, and it’s great to be involved.”
The match officials will be named this week.
Admission is £5.00 (£3.00 concessions).