While Super League grabbed all of the headlines with its Magic weekend in Newcastle the important business of the Championship continued unabated with the race for the top four places ahead of the split into three divisions.
Round fifteen saw two Friday games at Halifax and Sheffield while the rest of the round completed on Sunday with fixtures at Dewsbury, London, Swinton and Workington.
Halifax maintained their sixth spot, tucked in two points behind a top four place, with a narrow win over Oldham Roughyeds. Sarsfield grabbed a first half brace for the home side, with the second being converted by Tyrer for a 10-0 half time lead. Chisholm scored for Oldham on fifty and when Gee converted the Roughyeds were four points behind. Tyrer kicked a penalty on sixty-one and the rest of the game played out without either side further troubling the scorers for a 12-6 Halifax win in the lowest scoring game of the weekend.
Sheffield Eagles threw away a first half lead against Bradford Bulls to lose 25-14. Worrincy and Aston, against a solitary four-pointer from Bradfords' Thomas gave the Eagles a 10-6 half time lead which they extended to 14-6 through a second Worrincy try on forty-nine. But following a Williams try on fifty-six it was all Bradford with Sidlow and Welham adding tries, three Addy conversions and Thomas drop goal for good measure.
The top two show little sign of letting up in their push for Super League 2017.
Leigh Centurions showed near neighbours Swinton Lions no mercy as they put them to the sword. Armstrong, Smith (2), Pownall and Whiting all scored first half tries with the only response being a Nicholson converted try. Leading 26-6 at half time Leigh ran in another four second half tries through Ridyard, Weston, Reynolds, and Drinkwater for a big 48-6 victory.
London Broncos did their points difference a world of good with a 62-4 demolition of Whitehaven. It was 28-0 at the interval thanks to tries from Williams, Naiqama, Offerdahl and two from Pewhairangi. Hellewell completed an eight minute hat-trick at the start of the second half before Cunningham made it 52-0. Pewhairangi completed his hat-trick on sixty-three before Foster round d off Londons' scoring. Naiqama kicked nine goals but Whitehaven took some consolation on the long journey home with a last minute Jouffret try.
Featherstone Retained their fourth spot by nilling Dewsbury Rams. Taulapapa and Davies had given Fev a 10-0 half time lead but three second half tries from Taulapapa, Cording and Hardman, four Foster conversions and a Briggs drop goal sealed a 31-0 win.
The final game of the round was a nip and tuck affair at Workington which eventually saw Batley Bulldogs emerge victorious clutching the important two points. Phillips had given Workington a 6-0 lead but a Bambini penalty, Blake and Minikin tries and two conversions put the Bulldogs 14-6 up at the break. Whiteley scored straight after the interval for 10-14 but Brown and Scott extended the lead to 24-10 after sixty-eight. A great Workington fightback saw Sammut and Murphy tie the game up after sixty-eight at 24-24. In a tense last ten Walker kicked a drop goal on seventy-four for a one point lead before a Leak try and Bambini conversion sealed the win by 31-24.
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