Championship round-up as Wakefield Trinity win title and 14-man Whitehaven earn huge win

Round 21 of the Championship has concluded and there’s significant news from both ends of the table with Wakefield Trinity winning the League Leaders Shield and 14-man Whitehaven landing a huge win in their bid for survival.

The action started on Saturday with an upset win for Featherstone Rovers who defeated Toulouse Olympique at Post Office Road 22-10 to boost Fev’s playoff push. It marked a third straight defeat for the French side who are stumbling towards the end of the season after having been unbeaten since April.

That loss meant that Wakefield Trinity could lift the League Leaders Shield with a win over struggling Halifax Panthers and Daryl Powell’s side made light work of that task as they won 48-6 with Max Jowitt the star of the show again, scoring 20 points as he was perfect with the boot and picked up a try.

It means that Wakefield Trinity have secured the league title with five games to go and they will now bid to win the Grand Final and complete the season with three pieces of silverware after already winning the 1895 Cup at Wembley earlier in the year.

Whitehaven win as Championship drama continues

A loss for Halifax means they’re in danger of dropping into the relegation zone, especially after Whitehaven pulled off a shock win over bottom-side Dewsbury Rams. The issues at Haven have been well-documented with head coach Jonty Gorley resigning last week and the players then threatening to strike under newly-appointed boss Kyle Amor.

Amor did manage to take a team to the Flair Stadium, although he only had 14 men, but they performed valiantly and won 18-10, able to hold on after racing into a 16-0 lead in the first 40 minutes.

That win meant that they leapfrogged Swinton Lions who lost in the other relegation four-pointer against Barrow Raiders with their fellow Cumbrians edging the Lions 20-18 thanks to a late Ryan Shaw penalty. That puts Barrow three points clear of Swinton in 13th but with games against four of the top six and a derby against Whitehaven, they’re far from safe.

York Knights kept their playoff hopes alive with a 37-6 win over Batley Bulldogs with the Mark Applegarth revolution still ongoing at the LNER Stadium. Under his coaching, the Knights have won eight of eleven, including a win away in France against Toulouse. They’re now two points shy of the top six.

Fellow playoff chasers Doncaster saw their hopes dented as Bradford Bulls got over a recent slump to win 18-4 and close in on Toulouse for second, whilst Widnes prevented Sheffield Eagles from claiming second with a huge 35-20 win.

It means that just three points separate second and sixth with that bye round in the playoffs well up for grabs.

Championship Round 21 results as Wakefield Trinity secure title

Saturday 24th August

Featherstone Rovers 22-10 Toulouse Olympique

Sunday 25th August

Barrow Raiders 20-18 Swinton Lions
Dewsbury Rams 10-18 Whitehaven RLFC
Doncaster RLFC 4-18 Bradford Bulls
Halifax Panthers 6-48 Wakefield Trinity
Widnes Vikings 35-20 Sheffield Eagles
York Knights 37-6 Batley Bulldogs

🏆 Your 2024 Betfred Championship League Leaders Shield Winners!! #UpTheTrin pic.twitter.com/qbHA4FLVYs

— Wakefield Trinity (@WTrinityRL) August 25, 2024