2026 Championship Discussion

[League Unlimited News]

https://www.alloutrugbyleague.co.uk/news/championship-fixture-date-new-look-1527847

Tuesday for the fixtures.

Expanding on this from the article:

- Fixtures this coming Tuesday
- 21 teams (pending Salford and Fev wind-up petitions)
- Kickoff 17/18 January
- 24 rounds
- Each club plays 12 other clubs home and away, 10 determined by nearby 2025 positions, 2 others local rivals
- Top 10 playoffs over 5 weeks
- GF on Sun 4 October

 

[League Unlimited News]

Round 1​

North Wales Crusaders have a bye

Salford Red Devils v Oldham RLFC
Fri 16 Jan 8:00PM at Corpteq Stadium, Barton-upon-Irwell

Midlands Hurricanes v Newcastle Thunder
Sun 18 Jan 2:00PM at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham
Barrow Raiders v Workington Town
Sun 18 Jan 3:00PM at Northern Competitions Stadium, Barrow
Batley Bulldogs v Featherstone Rovers
Sun 18 Jan 3:00PM at Fox's Biscuits Stadium, Batley
Doncaster RLFC v Halifax Panthers
Sun 18 Jan 3:00PM at Eco-Power Stadium, Doncaster
Hunslet RLFC v Dewsbury Rams
Sun 18 Jan 3:00PM at South Leeds Stadium, Hunslet
Keighley Cougars v Goole Vikings
Sun 18 Jan 3:00PM at Cougar Park, Keighley
London Broncos v Widnes Vikings
Sun 18 Jan 3:00PM at The Cherry Red Records Stadium, Wimbledon
Whitehaven RLFC v Sheffield Eagles
Sun 18 Jan 3:00PM at The Ortus REC, Whitehaven
Swinton Lions v Rochdale Hornets
Sun 18 Jan 3:00PM at Morson Stadium, Sale

More info

2026 Betfred Championship fixtures confirmed

www.rugby-league.com

Full fixtures in RFL match centre: https://www.rugby-league.com/match-centre

 

[jason taylor]

London vs Widnes at home will be a good match up. (I like Widnes's new logo as well - glad they ditched their previous one).

At this point playing Salford will farcical next season.

 

[Taking The Two]

Widnes and Oldham are probably the toughest opponents for London, it could be a great time for Widnes to play them and to take that scalp.

Salford getting a side out in 45 days time, hopefully under new ownership, will be a far greater “win” than whatever happens in that 80 minutes.

 

[Perth Red]

London vs Widnes at home will be a good match up. (I like Widnes's new logo as well - glad they ditched their previous one).

At this point playing Salford will farcical next season.

Salford have some good youth still. They'll be no weaker than a number of the bottom clubs.
Not sure RFL should have let them in under the current ownership but that's a different argument.

 

[RL The greatest game]

Bradford bulls put up led boards for one game , an img loophole , the rest of the time they've been undergoing 'maintenance apparently '.

Is that right Jason Taylor?

 

[Listenup94]

Is that right Jason Taylor?

11 mins in is the specific mention of led boards.

7.2 mins subject of how Bradford got into superleague.

 

[jason taylor]

Is that right Jason Taylor?

Probably - doesn’t invalidate my point at all - they all Bradford did was strategically target IMG criteria to boost their score, which was enabled by them owning their stadium. There’s no broader RFL conspiracy involved Nigel, which is what you’ve been harping on about for months.

 

[jason taylor]

Double

 

[RL The greatest game]

11 mins in is the specific mention of led boards.

7.2 mins subject of how Bradford got into superleague.

I get the view that Matt Shaw thinks that the IMG grading system is a joke which my friends would agree with and so would their friends

 

[RL The greatest game]

Probably - doesn’t invalidate my point at all - they all Bradford did was strategically target IMG criteria to boost their score, which was enabled by them owning their stadium. There’s no broader RFL conspiracy involved Nigel, which is what you’ve been harping on about for months.

I think that the IMG gradings system has come up short when a team LIKE Bradford finish 10th in the overall grading system.

 

[jason taylor]

North Wales Crusaders players are refusing to train - haven’t been paid for either October or November.

RFL urges North Wales Crusaders to settle debts after former halfback’s claims – Total Rugby League

www.totalrl.com

Could well be the next domino to fall

 

[Taking The Two]

I mean, I wouldn’t believe that just yet. The “journalist” who has led with that story, Mick Gledhill, is a fantasist, a liar and a clown.

 

[jason taylor]

I mean, I wouldn’t believe that just yet. The “journalist” who has led with that story, Mick Gledhill, is a fantasist, a liar and a clown.

Hopefully that’s the case! It’s important to have a side playing out of Wales (and they had a great season on the field in National League this year)

 

[Taking The Two]

It seems that there is more to the North Wales rumours. Another club with a bleak future, so that’s question marks over Salford, Featherstone and North Wales starting the 2026 season in a little over a month’s time.

Things need to change but I don’t think anyone is prepared for that conversation.

 

[jason taylor]

It seems that there is more to the North Wales rumours. Another club with a bleak future, so that’s question marks over Salford, Featherstone and North Wales starting the 2026 season in a little over a month’s time.

Things need to change but I don’t think anyone is prepared for that conversation.

Fundamentally, I think there is a problem with how there's a lack of a strategic plan for what the purpose of the lower tiers are (I was about to say second and third tier - but there is no third tier now, which I guess is my point). If P&R is gone for good, well there really needs to be thought put in to how to keep the competition sustainable and what the overall purpose it. One way to do that is the increase the partnerships with Super League teams, effectively making them feeders like the status quo in NSW/QLD cup. The question being if that is the approach taken, is it financially sustainable?

 

[Perth Red]

Fundamentally, I think there is a problem with how there's a lack of a strategic plan for what the purpose of the lower tiers are (I was about to say second and third tier - but there is no third tier now, which I guess is my point). If P&R is gone for good, well there really needs to be thought put in to how to keep the competition sustainable and what the overall purpose it. One way to do that is the increase the partnerships with Super League teams, effectively making them feeders like the status quo in NSW/QLD cup. The question being if that is the approach taken, is it financially sustainable?

It’s already heading down that road. I can see some consolidation of the second tier in coming years as clubs drop away. I hope we see a viable and vibrant second division remain with part time clubs providing opportunities for local communities to play and follow the game. Not everything needs to be about SL.

 

[Taking The Two]

Fundamentally, I think there is a problem with how there's a lack of a strategic plan for what the purpose of the lower tiers are (I was about to say second and third tier - but there is no third tier now, which I guess is my point). If P&R is gone for good, well there really needs to be thought put in to how to keep the competition sustainable and what the overall purpose it. One way to do that is the increase the partnerships with Super League teams, effectively making them feeders like the status quo in NSW/QLD cup. The question being if that is the approach taken, is it financially sustainable?

No, it’s not financially sustainable but I don’t think people are ready to hear that and to hear that it’s sheer lunacy to fund so many teams. I mean, finding 33 UK clubs on the money this sport gets is bizarre.

North Wales are North Wales in name only, they train out of St Helens and travel to Wales in a few cars on game day, I would go as far as saying that they provide little use to the sport. They offer no pathways, they have quite literally 1-3 Welsh born players and do little for the sport.

 

[League Unlimited News]

Three different consortia are officially in the running to take control of Salford Red Devils in 2026 after the deadline passed to express interest to the Rugby Football League.

The governing body revealed last week that they had terminated the club’s playing licence after they were ordered into liquidation by the High Court following a year-long financial battle.

However, no decision on which ownership group gets control of that licence will be made until later this month – December 17. That would give the successful party less than a month to set up a new club from scratch: and recruit an entirely new squad and coaching team.

And it can now be revealed that three parties have beaten the initial deadline set of 5pm today to get their bids into the governing body.

There is now a further final deadline of this Thursday to submit all paperwork – but three parties are likely to do that later this week.

In a statement, the RFL said: “The RFL can confirm that it has received three expressions of interest in relation to Salford Red Devils. The deadline for final submissions is 5pm on Thursday 11th December, with a final decision set for Wednesday 17th December.”

One consortium is being led by former Red Devils CEO Chris Irwin, while another features ex-Salford player Mason Caton-Brown and has Malcolm Crompton and Paul Hancock involved, too. The third is believed to be fronted by Tracy Atiga – who has links to the previous ownership that have now been removed from the club.

Love Rugby League revealed last week how Irwin’s consortium are looking to bring Adrian Morley into their team as a club ambassador. Morley would be seen as a key figurehead in helping usher in a fresh era for the Red Devils.

But it remains to be seen whether they will get control, with the RFL set to debate the issue over the coming days. Salford will likely be a point of discussion at Tuesday’s Council meeting in Wakefield, too.

Major Salford Red Devils update as deadline passes for ownership

Three different consortia are officially in the running to take control of Salford Red Devils in 2026 following their liquidation.

www.loverugbyleague.com

 

[Taking The Two]

Featherstone Rovers in administration. That's Salford, Featherstone, London Skolars, West Wales, Newcastle, Cornwall and probably some others I've forgotten who have either gone bust/into administration over the past few seasons.