Championship round-up: London win 20 in a row as race for second takes huge twist

Aaron Bower 02 Aug 2026 4:56 PM

London Broncos made it 20 wins from 20 in the Championship in 2026 – but only after emerging through a real classic against Widnes Vikings on Sunday afternoon.

Jason Demetriou’s side have been involved in a lot of one-sided games this year, a trend which looked to continue at Widnes after they romped out to a 42-18 lead heading into the final quarter against the Vikings.

However, Allan Coleman’s side were superb in the final quarter, setting up a grandstand finale after reducing the deficit to just six points with three minutes remaining thanks to Mike Butt’s late try.

But London would hold on to solidify their position at the top of the table and move another step closer to a perfect league season in the Championship heading into the play-offs.

They have just four more regular season games left before the play-offs get underway, and the odds on them going through 2026 unbeaten are shortening every single week.

Race for second remains alive

The battle to finish second behind London now appears to be a two-horse race – but Newcastle Thunder are in pole position to make it now after winning on Sunday while their other rivals slipped up.

The Thunder hammered Workington Town in Cumbria, winning 40-16 to move two points clear of third-placed Oldham. The Roughyeds’ brilliant winning run came to a halt after they suffered a surprise and heavy defeat to Doncaster on Sunday afternoon. Widnes lose further ground on the top two after their loss to London; they are now six points shy of Newcastle and, realistically, will not be able to catch them.

There are just three spots in the play-offs left to confirm now. Doncaster and Sheffield are officially there after their big wins on Sunday, with the Eagles hammering Halifax Panthers in South Yorkshire.

Midlands Hurricanes are almost there; they have a seven-point buffer over 11th-placed Dewsbury with just four matches left, with the Hurricanes becoming the latest team to inflict a heavy loss on Keighley Cougars on Sunday.

Batley took a big step towards a play-off berth themselves after winning at Swinton Lions while tenth spot is occupied by Whitehaven. They are just a point ahead of Dewsbury, who slipped up at home to Hunslet and missed a glorious chance to reach the play-offs.