With the fixture between the Swinton Lions and Leigh Centurions falling victim to an unfit pitch, round four of the Betfred Championship comprised six fixtures which were all played on Sunday.

There were some intriguing games as Featherstone made the trip south to play London, winless York were at Halifax, the Bulls went into the Pennines to play Oldham, and in the evening kick-off it was Widnes on the road to Dewsbury.

Elsewhere Whitehaven were the hosts to Toulouse, and Batley had a home game against Sheffield.

A floodlit Tetleys Stadium in Dewsbury was the venue for the final game of round four as the Rams welcomed the Vikings from Widnes for an early season middle of the table clash.

The Rams trail the Vikings by two league points but have a game in hand and knew that a win could see them climb into the top five.

The Vikings are chasing a return to Super League and have great hopes for challenging the top of the table in 2020.

It was a little cool but after a sharp shower before kick-off there were good conditions for an open flowing game as both sides looked for the two points.

When you are desperate top record your first win of the season, you would probably rather not be going up against the Champions in your fifth round match.

But that is exactly what the Toronto Wolfpack had to do as they took on St Helens in their home fixture being played at the Halliwell-Jones Stadium in Warrington.

Everything pointed to a Saints win which could lift them up into second spot but after last weekends World Club Challenge disappointment the Wolfpack came into the game hoping to gain their first two points which could have lifted them as high as eighth in the table.

It was fifth against sixth as the Leeds Rhinos took on the Warrington Wolves with both sides knowing that a win could lift them into second spot in an already competitive and congested table.

The Rhinos were rocked in midweek by the news that captain Stevie Ward had been stood don indefinitely after continuing to suffer from a concussion suffered in the opening week.

There was no place in Agars seventeen for loan signing Joe Greenwood.

But kicker Rhyse Martin was back in the side after missing the last two outings.

The Wolves welcomed back their skipper Chris Hill after he missed the last three through suspension but full back Matty Ashton was out with an injury picked up in the win over Toronto.

After a fantastic opening weekend for Hull Kingston Rovers, they have suffered three consecutive defeats, and find themselves just two points above the basement spot and in need of a morale boosting win.

Tonights visitors, the Castleford Tigers, knew that a win would see them to the top of the table ahead of the rest of the rounds’ fixtures.

The Robins are suffering a number of early season injuries which forced more changes for Tony Smith while the Tigers brought Mike McMeeken off the bench in the only change to the starting thirteen which defeated Wakefield Trinity last time out.

The bookies favoured an away win, but a vocal home support were hoping that their underdogs could spring a surprise.

The tie of the fourth round of the Challenge Cup pitched the London Broncos against the York City Knights as to of the top sides in the Championship did battle for a place in the fifth round.

The Broncos had started the season with three straight wins whereas the Knights are pointless after two run outs losing to Leigh and Toulouse.

The Broncos were the favourites with the bookies but York’s season needed to start somewhere, and why not against last seasons relegated side.

The magic of the Challenge Cup was very much alive when National Conference Premier division amateur side, Underbank Rangers from Huddersfield, were drawn away at Bradford Bulls.

Windy conditions as the teams reached the playing surface could have acted as a leveller, but the odds and the expectation were heavily with the Bulls, as they fielded a full strength squad, giving the visitors full respect.

This was a potential banana skin for the Bulls, and coach John Kear was determined that they wouldn’t slip on it.

When two Worlds collide, there can only be one winner.

It was the night of Champions as Super League’s finest, St Helens, took on the cream of the ARL in the form of the Sydney Roosters.

The Roosters came to the UK as defending World Club Champions after defeating Wigan by 20-8 last year.

They have also won the coveted title on four occasions, compared to Saints two.

The last time the home side picked up the trophy was back in 2007 and the bookies believed that they were unlikely to taste glory tonight.

There was no place in the Saints squad for Regan Grace who is suffering concussion and Mark Percival, surgery suspended, also didn’t make the seventeen.

 Local bragging rights were up for grabs as fifth places Castleford Tigers hosted a Wakefield Trinity side who are currently ninth, but have a game in hand.

A seven point win for the visitors would see them above their hosts but a big home win could see them top the table, depending on other results in round four.

The Tigers had a disappointing trip to the south of France last weekend where they lost out to the Catalans Dragons and they welcome back talisman Peter Mata’utia after he missed the last two games through suspension.

Wakefield named an unchanged line-up from the side which beat the Warrington Wolves last time out.

Windy conditions threw a pre-match curve ball to both coaches but a big crowd anticipated a competitive game.

With the game between Halifax and the Dewsbury Rams falling victim to the weather, and being re-scheduled for Tuesday evening, the remaining games were all played out on Sunday afternoon.

The late kick off was between the divisional new boys as Oldham travelled to Whitehaven, but there was plenty to whet the appetite in the afternoon matches.

Bradford had a home game against Featherstone Rovers while the Sheffield Eagles looked to upset Touluse as they visited South Yorkshire.

Batley were at home to Swinton while there was the promise of two battle royal’s as York City Knights went to Leigh, and London were in Widnes to play the Vikings.

The two newly promoted sides to the Betfred Championship, neither if whom having had the best of starts to their 2020 season, met at the Recreation Ground in Whitehaven for a four-pointer at the wrong end of the table as Oldham were the visitors.

Both sides have started the season with two losses but knew a win would lift them towards the middle of the early season table, a loss though would leave either side anchored to the bottom moving into round four.

Either Hull FC or St Helens would end round three at the top of the league as the two sides met at the KCOM Stadium.

Hull were defending their one hundred percent start to the season and knew that a win would guarantee them top spot, Saints needed a seven point winning margin and to hope that Warrington didn’t run in a big win against Wakefield.

Saints were without Mark Percival who has been ruled out for several months with a shoulder injury picked up in last weeks surprise loss to Warrington, but Tommy Makinson and Alex Walmsley were back in the line up.

Hull FC also made a few changes with Kelly, Satae, Faraimo and Savelio all missing for the home side, but Mahe Fonua would make his second debut after returning to Airlie Birds with Gareth Ellis back in at thirteen and Josh Griffin moved into the pack.

After falling victim to storm Ciara last weekend, the hastily re-arranged all Championship One  game between the Keighley Cougars and Newcastle Thunder took centre stage on Saturday afternoon.

A fourth round tie away at Siddal Rangers awaited the victors and with a great chance of progress against the amateur opposition a change of a fifth round game against one of the big Super League clubs was a real possibility.

Fresh from their win over the Toronto Wolfpack last weekend, the Salford Red Devils played host to a Huddersfield Giants side who are one hundred percent after just one outing so far in the 2020 season, and who had the benefit of a week off due to the storm.

Salford won two out of the three meeting last season and were slight favourites with the bookies to pick up the win, the Giants being given a two point start on the handicap coupon.

A sixteen point winning margin would put the Giants on the top of the table, the Red Devils needing a win to make fourth spot overnight.

Toronto Wolfpack are finding life in Super League to be far tougher than last seasons Championship campaign, and they have started the season with back to back losses which see’s them at the bottom of the table.

And the tough games just keep coming for the Canadians who faced a round three game at Wigan, against a Warriors side who have beaten Warrington, but lost to Castleford, so far in this campaign.

The Wolfpack were without Sonny Bill Williams who has returned to New Zealand for the birth of his fourth child, further lengthening the odds of a Toronto win with the bookies, the home side were massive pre-game favourites.

Aldershot was the venue as the Army took on Ince Rose Bridge in the third round of the Challenge Cup as both sides looked to progress on the long road to Wembley.

The Army had already taken out two Conference League One sides in this years competition, with victories over Oulton and Skirlaugh.

Ince Rose Bridge had beaten East Hull ARLFC and the Milford Marlins on their voyage so far.

It had been a long five hour trip south for the side from Wigan, and after a slightly delayed kick-off the game got underway at just after two-thirty.

With the season just one round old, the first Hull derby of the season arrived as the Robins travelled across the city to take on the Airlie Birds in their home nest.

Both sides won their matches of the opening weekend, KR over Wakefield and FC over Leeds, and knew that a win tonight would lift them to the top of the table following Saints defeat to Warrington last time out.

There was more than just bragging rights on offer and all the pre-match hype promised a full-blooded affair.

The game was dedicated, by both sides, to the fund raising campaign being undertaken for KR skipper Mose Masoe who picked up a career ending injury in pre-season, and who watched the match from his hospital bed.

Warrington Wolves had the perfect opportunity to make amends for last weekend’s season opening loss to the Wigan Warriors as they welcomed Champions St Helens to the Halliwell-Jones for their first home game of the season.

St Helens were unstoppable against Salford Red Devils last time out, and after one game are at the top of the table that they made their own last season.

Saints were strong favourites with the bookies to pick up another two points, but the last team which beat them were Warrington in the 2019 Challenge Cup Final.

Warrington made an enforced change with the suspended Hill being replaced by Joe Philbin in the starting thirteen with Matt Davis being brought in on the bench.

Saints were without the injured Lachlan Coote as Jack Welsby moved to full back, Alex Walmsley was a late withdrawal, pulling out after the warm-up.

What promises to be a highly competitive Betfred Championship season got underway over the weekend as fourteen sides looked to secure the one available spot to get into Super League for 2021.

The opening game was between Dewsbury and Leigh on Friday night, with York making the long trip to Toulouse on Saturday.

All remaining fixtures kicked off on Sunday afternoon with newly relegated London in Bradford, Halifax at home to Sheffield, a local derby between Batley and Featherstone, big promotion hopefuls Widnes away at promted Oldham and Swinton travelling up the M6 to take on last seasons League One Champions Whitehaven.

Neither Leeds Rhinos nor Hull FC will have greeted the announcement of the opening round of Super League with much delight.

The Rhinos have a great home record against Hull but know that Lee Radfords’ side are much fancied for an excellent 2020 season with a fericious looking pack after their closed season recruitment.

It was the second game of the Emerald Headingley double-header, and the home side were the favourites with the bookies, despite the terraces being bolstered with plenty of Castleford supporters who were lending their voice to the visitors.

Expectations were high for both sides with the Rhinos looking for a much better season than their last couple, while Hull FC were seeking the consistency that they lacked throughout the 2019 season.