With no Super League action taking place this Sunday, the Championship will be in focus with a number of intriguing games taking place.
Here are some of the big talking points.
Will Leigh come unstuck in the Barrow mud?
Leigh will take in the delights of Cumbria this weekend as the well-fancied Centurions take on Barrow.
But anyone thinking this will be an easy afternoon for Neil Jukes’ side should pay attention to the Raiders’ excellent performance against Toronto, which earned them a draw last time out.
A big factor in that was Barrow’s boggy pitch at Craven Park, which helped stifle Toronto, as did Barrow’s resilience.
But with the pitch now cut up already, may Leigh endure similar issues? It will be interesting to see how Leigh fare.
Halifax – top four contenders?
Somehow, Halifax always end up being unfancied when it comes to the top four race.
The same applies this year, with Richard Marshall’s side not being backed to make the Qualifiers given their inferior budget and part-time status.
However, they thrive with an underdogs status, and that applies more so than ever this weekend as they host Toronto.
They’ve not given any real reason to suggest they can make the top four yet. Defeating Toronto would change that.
A battle of the pacesetters in the Capital
The highlight of the round takes place in London, as the Broncos play Featherstone in a battle of the Championship’s two sides with 100% records.
Featherstone have caught everyone’s attention with victories over Halifax and Toulouse, while Danny Ward’s side have gone under the radar after overcoming Barrow and Dewsbury.
But London can change that on Sunday. Victory would make everyone take note given the hype currently around Fev, while for Rovers, a third straight win against a top-four rival would make them strong favourites for a Qualifiers spot already.
Swinton on the rise?
There’s plenty of ambition at the Lions this year as they look to move on from last year’s difficulties.
It was a slow start with defeat to Toulouse, but this week they face Batley in a game Stuart Littler will be confident his side can win.
If Swinton are to achieve anything this year, their home form will have to be strong. This game will take place at the AJ Bell, which takes that off them somewhat. That said, the Lions will be keen to pick off the Bulldogs in this one.
