Championship play offs - Widnes Vikings

RE: Championship play offs

gpo1971 — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 10:51:03 +0000

@ringo-bells I'm talking about SL not the Championship.

RE: Championship play offs

sandgroper — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 09:34:49 +0000

Maybe a cheeky application for Dual Reg with London, in case they have any young NRL props who could benefit from a few games in UK conditions before chancing them in SL ( a bit like our Condon effort)?

We are on the mainline with direct 2 hour link to the capital!!!!!

RE: Championship play offs

Ringo Bells — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 08:39:58 +0000

London, Cats, Toulouse, Cas, Hudds, Wire, York, Bradford, yeah not all of those guys will be in but, still .... hardly a 'super' league is it?

Get ready for even more thrashings and the same top 6 every year (like now, more or less).

I think wire will be in.............

RE: Championship play offs

gpo1971 — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 07:07:44 +0000

London, Cats, Toulouse, Cas, Hudds, Wire, York, Bradford, yeah not all of those guys will be in but, still .... hardly a 'super' league is it?

Get ready for even more thrashings and the same top 6 every year (like now, more or less).

RE: Championship play offs

Cumbria viking — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 20:38:00 +0000

I'll say this....Jason demetriou isn't coming to London to coach in the championship ...nor has hetherington and Lockyer gone there to do likewise ....plus a well established Aussie reporter tweeted something today about something big coming regarding London in next two weeks....I'd say their in ....

RE: Championship play offs

7 Vikingnomad — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 18:27:05 +0000

@cj91

well I hope you are right that London do not get in this years- so who do you reckon will ?
also saying they will win next year as they will be full time - how many championship teams were full time this year - only one can finish top

sadly I think the independent adjudicators will give London a berth

i sincerely hope I am wrong !

RE: Championship play offs

CJ91 — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 17:33:35 +0000

Be interesting to see what form the Play-Offs take next year....

Can only imagine a Top 8.....

I can see London being left out this time, then win the league and go up next time as they will surely be FT.

RE: Championship play offs

7 Vikingnomad — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 17:15:16 +0000

Toulouse and York 11th and 12th on IMG to replace Huddersfield and Salford. London and Bradford the 13th and 14th selections.

The more I think about it, with Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield and Castleford why does SL/IMG need Huddersfield playing in a 25k stadium with 4k fans.

How Cas got a grade A with the stadium, complete lack of facilities and the quality of the playing squad is beyond me. Mind you Salford did finish 12th despite needing a £500k advance just to start the season.

I agree and have been saying that for ages - the decision now is who are the extra teams by the ‘independent panel ‘

we all know that Nigel’s bradfraud will be one - but the other ?

probably the weakest supported team of all the applicants, playing in a borrowed stadium with no roots to a fan base

that finished in the bottom 4 of the championship

great credentials !

RE: Championship play offs

Farnworth Viking — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 15:12:03 +0000

Two of those teams might not be playing next season with Featherstone and Halifax both owing lots of money

RE: Championship play offs

Frankg — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 13:55:48 +0000

With Bradford not getting to the play-off final, I wonder whether RFL/ Nigel will simply replace Salford with Toulouse and stick with a 12-team SL for 2026. Not sure how two French teams will help improve the Sky renewal offer in 2026 or add to attendances at the other 10 Clubs.

This will give RFL/Nigel another opportunity to change the rules for promotion again in 2026. They may even be radical and decide that performance on the pitch will determine promotion and relegation. Has anyone thought of that before?

The Championship will then be very competitive in 2026 with Widnes competing with Bradford, Oldham, York, London, Featherston, Halifax and other Clubs for potential promotion to SL. RFL may even be able to interest TV in Championship games, if they tried.