Five fixtures survived the weather in Sunday's Championship programme with just the game at Workington, where they were to host Dewsbury Rams, falling victim to an unsatisfactory pitch inspection.

Leigh, Featherstone and Batley all maintained their 100% start to the season while Bradford registered their first win in the Championship.

Newly relegated London Broncos crashed to a big defeat at the hands of the Sheffield Eagles with the home side running in eight tries.


The early kick-off was at Doncaster and it seemed to suit the home side as they held a slender 4-0 lead at the interval thanks to a ninth minute try from Cowling. the second half was all Featherstone's as two tries from Chappell and Ryan, both converted by Sykes were opposed only by a single penalty goal from Sanderson. The game was still in the balance up until the seventy-seventh minute when Marginet slotted over a drop goal to take the points back up the A1 and maintain Rovers' unbeaten record.

The end of Round 2 sees Batley Bulldogs sitting at the top of the pile thanks to a 26-14 win away at Hunslet. The visitors didn't have it all their own way as after taking the lead through a Craven try they found themselves trailing 12-4 thanks to converted tries from Watson and Brennan. Squires scored Batleys second try of the afternoon but Leatherbarrow failed to convert and a Brown penalty for Hunslet send them into the interval with a 14-8 lead.

Batley turned it around in the second half in convincing style, shutting the home side out. Tries from Nicholson, Ainscough and at the death Reittie were all converted by Leatherbarrow for the win.

Halifax didn't make it easy for their visitors Leigh, despite two converted tries from Kay giving the Centurions a 12-0 half time lead. Maneely scored early in the second half to give the home supporters some hope of a fightback which were only finally dashed in the last minute of the game when Pownall scores a try and Ridyard slotted over the extras. Leigh winners by 18-6 and another unbeaten start to the season.

Bradford Bulls were still smarting from the narrow defeat at Leigh last week and it was Whitehaven who felt the full backlash. Just under five thousand were at Odsal to see Purtell and Pitts establish an early 10-0 lead for the Bulls before a try from Parker narrowed the margin to 10-4 at the break.

In the second half the Bulls kicked on and a twenty-five minute hat-trick from Gaskell was added to with a late score from Sidlow without any response from the Cumbrians. A first win of the season for the Bulls by a convincing 34-4 margin and one that leaves Whitehaven at the bottom of the pile.

The last game of the afternoon saw last years relegated London Broncos visit the Sheffield Eagles in a game which the home side bossed from the first whistle. Tries from Knowles, Molloy, Laula-Togagae and Briggs established a 20-0 lead and half time and Taulapapa, Smeaton, Straughter and Turner added another four after the break. London's only answer was a converted Williams try on the hour mark, an afternoon to forget for the Broncos but one to remember for the 361 Eagles fans in attendance with a final score of 40-6.