2023 season

The championship starts this weekwnd, Super League in 2 weeks. The Nrl &League 1 at some point.
Plus there's an old,new trophey as the world club champions is back (St Helens v Penrith in Australia).

Other questions, can St Helens make it 4 in a row? Who will challenge, will Salford continue there fantastic last few years, will either of the Hull teams actually wake up (this applies to Warrington).After there excellent season last year, is Huddersfield signing so many players going to help.


In the championship.
Can Keighley do a Barrow and challenge after Promotion? Can Barrow continue from last year, will this be the year that Bradford or Widnes wake up and make a play off charge. Will Batley continue on from last Season, and if not them who will be the unexpected package.

League 1, gueinuely looks a very open league.

Nrl - Can Penrith do 3 in a row.

But as always with Rugby League, the biggest question? Just what format will the league be next year?

And the first game of the season, see's Toulouse get a very good away win at Barrow 24-4.

One of two interesting results yesterday, Widnes winning at York being the one that raised my eyebrows.

Fev are clearly going to hard to beat followed by Toulouse and perhaps Fax. After that take your pick, IMO it will come down to injuries, squad depth and of course attitude (very much lacking at Bradford last year).

Rest of this weekend's results.

There where 2 home wins opening weekend. Bradford starting strongly with a 24 - 8 win against whitehaven. And Halifax continuing on from last year, beating Sheffield 26-18. Batley also continued last years foem, winning at London Broncos 30-20, Widnes win at York 19-12, and Newcastle win at Swinton 18-6.
Tonight saw Featherstone go to Keighley and crush them 50-0.

Think attitude is the top one Beast, followed by Luck in injuries. But agree about Featherstone.

Again some very interesting Championship results;

Barrow 16 Sheffield 36

Batley 16 - Swinton 30

Whitehaven 16 - London 20

Widnes 26 - Keighley 18

Featherstone 46 - Halifax 22

Very surprised to see Batley losing at home to Swinton, Sheffield beating Barrow away another eye opener.

York play Bradford on Monday night

York win 32-16.

The Swinton result is a suprise, and a big one as an early win for a promoted team always good. Whitehaven and keighley and Barrow need to get going. Featherstone and Touliouse cruising at the moment.

This week sees super league start with Warrington/Leeds on thursday. C4 have the Hull KR/Wigan game, and also the world club challenge between penrith and St Helens at 7am.

This week's results. Which saw both super league and league 1 start.

In SL.
Thursdays game saw a fairly comfertable win for Warrington v Leeds 42-10. Fridays games, Leigh after there promotion were beaten by Salford at home 20-10. Tom Johnstone scored a hat trick on his debut for Catalan, at his old club Wakefield in a 38-24 win. On saturday, Hull KR put in a good performance against an out of sorts Wigan to win 27-18. And on Sunday, Hull Fc held off a valient comeback after a storming 1st half and building up a 32-6 lead, to beat Castleford 32-30.

In the championship.
On friday, Sheffield put in a great performance to beat Batley 36-0. Saturday saw Toulouse continue there great start by beating York 36-0. On Sunday the promoted sides took center stage in my opinion. Keighley got there 1st win against Newcastle 44-24. And Swinton got there 2nd beating Barrow 20-18. Featherstone stay top after demolishing Whitehaven 76-4. Bradford got a good gritty win v Widnes 14-12. And Halifax beat London Broncos 26-18.

In League 1.
Doncaster got a good win v Hunslet 18-16. Midland put Cornwall to the sword winning 40-6. Dewsbury (who aare favourites for the division), won at North Wales 38-18. And Workington won at London Skolars 58-16.

But the reult of this weekend was in Australia. Where St Helens won the world club challenge title with an outstanding performance beating Penrith 13-12.

Interesting results Thursday/Friday/Saturday

KR win at Salford. Very solid start for KR, home win v Wigan and now this.

Warrington winning at Huddersfield is a great result for Wire who are 2 from 2

Wigan hammer Wakefield 60 - 0. Having seen the highlights Wakefield simply cannot defend like that, otherwise I will be a very long summer

Today;

Bradford shock Toulouse 28 - 18 at Odsal. The visitors were 8 - 18 up but seemingly lost the plot. I listened on the radio, it was hard to keep up with multiple flare ups and sin bins.

Agree about esrly fixtures.

Rovers win on the back of a good 2nd half (24-10), was big especially as Leigh this weekend. Warrington looking like they could be challenging. Wakefield look to be in big trouble already. Catalans beat Leigh 14-6, and St Helens win at Castleford 24-6, the other SL results this weekend.

In the championship.
Like Beast mentions, a fantastic result for Bradford. Especially as the teams around them continue to do well. Sheffield ot a 1 point win at London Broncos 21-20. Batley return to winning ways beatinh Keighley 28-23. Featherstone continue there charge beating Newcastle 56-6 ( there points difference is 196 after 4 games). Whitehaven get there 1st wwin as they beat Swinton 20-4. And Barrow continue there terrible start losing at York 28-14.

In the challenge cup rd2.
Massive congratulations to amateur club Rochdale Mayfield who won at Cornwall 20-14. They are joined in the next rd by Amatuers Wath Brow, Stanningley, Hunslet ARLFC, West Bowling, Leigh Miners Rangers, Orrell St James, York Acorn, Thatto Heath, Siddal, West Warriors & Westgate common. And from League 1 Dewsbury, Doncaster, Midlands, Hunslet, North Wales, Rochdale & Workington.

Should have mentioned the championship clubs are also in the next round of the challenge cup.

Anyway monday night saw Widnes get a big win against Halifax 42-14.

This weekend see's the NRL kick off.

So by yesterday all this weeks SL games had been completed.

Thursday's game saw Warrington continue there excellent start to the season, beating Salford 36-20.
All other games were on fri.
Going into this rd, 2nd placed Hull KR lost at home to Leigh in the very last seconds 30-25. This was Leigh's 1st win after promotion, and to e fair they deserved it. Catalans continued there unbeaten start, whilst ending Hull FC's by a dominate 38-6 win. Castleford (who i thought were going to do well), continued there wretched start losing 36-0 to Wigan at home (Wigans last 2 games have sern them score 96, and concede 0). And Wakefield lose at home to Huddersfield 8-0.

Forgot yo put, St Helens lose at home to leeds 25-24.

With Featherstone playing tonight (v Bradford at home). The rest of the championship had a chance to pull back some points.
Toulouse certainly took advantage, stuffing Whitehaven at home 72-10. Sheffield continue there good start, convincingly beating Widnes at home 42-12. Halifax won narrowly in a west yorkshire derby against Batley 20-16. Keighley won at home again 33-22, this time against London Broncos. And York got a big win away at Swinton 40-0. Barrow got there 1st point of the season after drawing 18-18 v Newcastle.

In League 1.
Dewsbury stuff Midlands 50-10. Hunslet got a good win v North Wales 22-8. The big winners were Oldham 62-18 v London Skolars. And Doncaster get a vdry impressive away win at Rochdale 20-10.

In the NRL.
The Dolphins won there 1st ever game, Beating Sydney Roosters 28-18. Last years winners Penrith lost at home to Brisbane 13-12. New Zealand Warriors won at home against Newcastle 20-12. Manly had a big win v Canrterbury 31-6. North Queensland won a tight affair v Canberra 19-18. South Sydney won at Cronulla 27-18, and Gold Coast won at West Tigers 22-10.

The Ncl also started this weekend.
Hunslet Warriors, Kells, Rochdale Mayfield, Siddal, Wath Brow and West Hull winning in the Premier.
Ince Rose Bridge, Pilkington, Skirlaugh, Stanningley, Clock Face & West Bowling in league 1.
Dewsbury Celtic, Dewsbury Moor, Saddleworth, Waterhead & Woolston in league 2.
And in League 3 the one game was won by Ellenborough.

Monday night's game saw Featherstone overcome Bradford 26 - 12. I listened to part on the radio and have seen the highlights, impressed by Bradford need a little bit more with ball in hand but gave Rovers a good game and I don't think that will happen all that often this season.

Injuries to Boden Thompson (Concussion again) and Michael Lawrence worrying for Bradford who have Sheffield on Sunday week after the York Acorns Cup game.

Another very interesting results from the latest set of games. Catalans winning at Wigan lays down another marker that they are potential contenders this season.

Wakefield lose to Leeds and have now not registered a point for 3 games. It must be a long time since that has happened, Trinity always seem to string some results together during a season, this however looks like it may be an uncomfortable summer for them and Chairman Michael Carter has announced he step down in the next few months.

Challenge Cup Weekend, some really encouraging performances from the Community sides but IMO the result of the weekend was Halifax winning at Featherstone. Good luck to them, please don't draw Bradford at home in the next round.

Good wins last night for Warrington battering Castleford 38 - 0 at the Jungle, Hull KR 34 - 6 at Wakefield and a late try for Wigan overcoming Salford 20 - 16.

Unfortunately at this stage unless very quick improvements are made Wakefield are in real trouble already.