With Leigh involved in the Challenge Cup there were just five games this weekend in round nineteen of the Kingstone Press Championship.

In Saturday evenings game Halifax took on London Broncos in the game of the round with fourth place up for grabs for the winners.

On Sunday there were games for Featherstone at Hunslet, Whitehaven travelled to winless Doncaster, the Bradford Bulls had a chance to go clear at the top at home to Batley and in the late kick-off Workington were at Sheffield Eagles.

Halifax triumphed easily over the Broncos on Saturday evening after the London side made the long journey north for a tea-time kick-off. Despite Williams opening the scoring for the Broncos, Manning, Kaye, Johnson, Tyrer and Saltonstall had all scored for 'Fax to give the home side a commanding 30-6 lead at the interval. Williams added a second for the Broncos just after the interval but Divorty had made it 36-10 before back to back tries from Thomas and Naiqama gave the visitors scoreline some respectability. Divorty added a second ten minutes from the end and Cahalane completed the scoring for a comprehensive 46-22 win and overnight fourth spot.

On Sunday afternoon Featherstone Rovers drew level on points with Halifax (with Fev having a game in hand) after a closer affair against Hunslet Hawks. Moore, Cook (2), and Hardman all scored first half tries for Rovers with Trout and Kain answering for the Hawks for 12-24 at the interval. Watson got the home side within eight of Featherstone just after the interval before two tries from Sharp extended Rovers lead to 36-16. Two tries from Lee and one from Finigan, all converted, were only answered by a Foster try for Rovers but the visitors held on to win 42-34.

Bottom side Doncaster were once again heavily defeated, this time by ninth place Whitehaven. First half tries by Allen, Gore, Taylor, McAvoy (2), and Parker gave the Cumbrians a 38-0 half time lead and within seven minutes of the restart Sigismeau, Davies and Aiye broke the fifty barrier at 50-0. Once the game had gone Doncaster came to life and dominated the last thirty minutes scoring with three unanswered tries from Mennell, Turgut and Kesik, all converted by Scott. It's still no wins from nineteen games for Doncaster losing this one 50-18 and a negative points difference of -441.

There were over five thousand at Odsal to see the Bulls make harder than expected work of eleventh placed Batley Bulldogs. First half Batley tries from Brown and Rettie were answered by Pitts, Mendeika, and Henry (2) for a 20-10 half time lead. Williams extended the Bulls lead to 24-10 before Rowe scored for Batley. Two tries in the last six minutes from Blythe and Shaw made the final score a more comfortable and slightly flattering 34-16 and sent the Bulls two points clear of Leigh but the Centurions have a game in hand.

The final game of the weekend saw Sheffield Eagles up against Workington Town. The first half was nip and tuck with a Carter converted try answered by a score from Togagae to send the sides into the interval at 6-6. Thorpe, Togogae and Briggs opened up an eighteen point lead for the Eagles before Straughier sealed a 26-6 win for the side looking increasingly likely to secure third spot in the middle-eights.

We are getting closer to the mid-eight cut-offs and a win for the Bulls in their re-arranged game against Featherstone Rovers on Wednesday night will see them confirmed as the first side into the middle-eights with four games left.