Championship Round-Up: Low scoring and tense Sunday sees Fev flying high and Halifax beaten again

Often considered the most exciting and competitive division of rugby league, the Championship has again served up a tense and enthralling day of rugby league action.

In five of the six fixtures played today 22 points or less were scored with just half the games decided by more than a converted try whilst five were only separated by eight points or less.

The day began with an early kick-off at Workington where the newly promoted side made promotion favourites Featherstone work hard for a third consecutive win to start the campaign.

Flying high having toppled promotion rivals Leigh on Monday, the Rovers were dragged into the mud at Workington. Featherstone had amassed a 20-6 advantage – thanks to tries from the likes of Connor Jones who enjoyed sliding in on the mud – but a 71st minute Workington try gave Fev something to worry about until Jack Bussey continued his impressive start to 2022 with a game sealing try giving them a 26-10 triumph.

Another side tipped to push for promotion this year was Halifax. The Panthers were shocked in Round One by Batley but got back to winning ways last week. However, they failed to generate any momentum in a tense and low scoring game against Widnes at home where former Super League Champion Matty Smith’s drop goal edged the game in the Vikings’ favour 9-8. The win sees the former Super League side remain top on points difference as one of the three 100 percenters alongside Featherstone and newly promoted Barrow who shocked Newcastle 14-6.

Newcastle were seen as one of the dark horses for promotion but have just one win from three and sit 10th in the table. A red card to former Wigan man Mitch Clark didn’t help but neither did their inability to score until the 78th minute.

In another close contest Dewsbury battled Sheffield. The Eagles shocked Bradford last week but against a Rams side some expected to go down in 2022 came up short 12-10. A try created by Paul Sykes for backrower Adam Ryder levelled matters before Sykes’ halfback partner Matty Beharrell edged it with the subsequent conversion.

Dewsbury’s rivals Batley also battled hard in a closely fought contest but came up just short against promotion rivals York City Knights 10-4. It was Batley’s first defeat of the season and saw York move level on points with them with a Will Oakes try handing them the win.

That win saw York climb to fifth but London remain second from bottom after an 8-0 loss to Whitehaven. The Broncos, alongside Workington, remain winless whilst Whitehaven claimed a first win of the season with a four-pointer from Connor Holliday the only try of the match.

Tomorrow Leigh and Bradford butt heads. Once the front runners for promotion back in 2015, both sides will want to keep in touch with the early table toppers with a second win of the season.