With just the Sheffield Eagles and Toronto Wolfpack unbeaten in the 2019 Betfred Championship it was clear they this season was going to be keenly fought by all fourteen sides as they challenged for the one promotions spot and tried to avoid relegation.
Round five saw joint leaders Sheffield face Batley on Friday night while the remainder of game were played in Sunday afternoon, the highlights being Toulouse’s visit to Odsal to play Leeds, Toronto in Dewsbury and the Widnes Vikings hoping to start to make up their twelve point deduction with a home game against Featherstone Rovers.
It was another great result for the Eagles on Friday night as they overcame an early setback after tries from Wood and Downs to easily win the game. After going behind by 10-0 in the opening twenty, Glover and Thackeray scored for Sheffield for a 12-10 half time lead but the second half was all the home side as Broadbent, Farrell, Davies, Blackmore with two and Walker all scored four pointers for the home side, Walker goaling a total of six goals. A late Smeaton try didn’t ease the Bulldogs pain as they went down by 16-44.
Despite a valiant effort from the Dewsbury Rams, who led for most of the game, the Toronto Wolfpack fought back to take a 22-17 win. Report Here.
The Widnes Vikings made their intentions clear when they made it back to -6 on the league table with their third win in four outings with a convincing win over Featherstone Rovers. Hood, Gelling, Ince, Owens and Walker all scored in the first half to open up a 28-0 lead before easing off the gas. Smith opened the Featherstone account but Wilde and Owens answered for 44-6 before tries from Newman and King gave Fev a modicum of respectability. Ince added his second for Widnes before a seventy second minute Newman try ended the scoring with the Vikings taking the game by 44-22.
Bradford suffered their third defeat of the season as they were nilled by the visiting Toulouse Olympique XIII. Maurel scored on the twelfth minute for a 6-0 half time lead and the French side added to their score with a second half Kheirallah penalty, Robin try and Kheirallah conversion for a final score of 14-0.
It was a humdinger in York where the City Knights won by the narrowest of margins against the Leigh Centurions. Batchelor gave the home side a fourth minute lead with a try and Robinson added a penalty goal on sixteen before a Thornley try and Ridyard conversion levelled the scoreline on the half hour mark. A Robinson penalty re-established the home lead on fifty-five before Ridyard repaid the compliment on sixty-seven to again tie the scores at 8-8. A minute later Robinson kicked a drop-goal for a one point lead which York held to the final hooter for a 9-8 win.
Halifax left it late to snatch a victory from the Swinton Lions. A brave from Ashton put the visitors 10-0 ahead at the interval with Saltonstall getting ‘Fax underway on forty-nine for 10-6. A Butt try and Smith goal made it 16-6 for the away side before tries from Tyrer and a second from Saltonstall in the last ten minutes snatched an 18-16 win thanks to two Tyrer conversions.
The final game in the Championship saw a win for Rochdale, despite them going behind to an early Amean try on just five minutes. Lawton scored a converted try on twenty five for 6-4 at the break and Moores and Carberry scored in the second half, added to by two Abram conversions and a penalty goal for 20-4. The last scoring action of the game was a second Amean try for the visitors but that only served to narrow the margin of defeat to 22-8.
