Round twenty of the Kingstone Press Championship may turn out to be the decisive weekend of fixtures which determine the four sides who will go into the middle eights where one of the opponents is now confirmed as being last seasons champions the Leeds Rhinos.

The game of the round looked like being at Leigh where Bradford Bulls were the visitors needing the win to keep in touch with Halifax and Batley.

With one game being played on both Friday and Saturday evenings there were just four games in the Sunday programme.

Friday night saw a close encounter as in the placed Sheffield Eagles took on eleventh placed Oldham Roughyeds. Sheffield led through an Aston try on four but Gill responded almost immediately. After a Palfrey penalty for the visitors, Laulu-Togagae re-established the Eagles lead at 12-8 before Hughes scored a try for Oldham to give them the lead at the interval. Thompson extended that lead to 20-12 early in the second half before Robin scored for the Eagles to get them back in it at 20-16, but a try from Foster four from the final hooter sealed a 24-16 win.

Batley Bulldogs continued their charge into the middle eights with a 16-8 Saturday evening win at Whitehaven. Gore had given the home side a lead after a quarter of an hour but Brown responded on twenty-five to level the scores at 4-4 at the interval. By mid way through the second half Rettie and Gledhill tries have made it 16-4 and despite a Calvert try for 'Haven it was too far back.

What had looked like the game of the round on paper, turned out to be the game of the round in reality. Smith and Hock had given Leigh a 10-0 lead before Caro got one back for the Bulls. Worthington took Leigh out to a 14-4 lead on twenty-five but a converted try from Moss reduced the arrears to six points at the interval. Clare and Mellor both scored within six minutes ten into the second half to put the Bulls 20-16 ahead but as the game became increasingly frantic Maitua scored four from the end and Smith converted to give the Centurions a 22-20 win to putative home side within a point of sealing the Championship minor premiership and make the Bulls chances of a top four finish look like an uphill struggle.

Halifax weren't going to slip up at Swinton Lions and ran out as 62-12 winners. First half tries from Johnston, Barber (2), and Sharp put 'Fax 28-0 ahead before Lloyd got one back for Swinton just before the break. Despite a solitary try for Fell, the second half was a procession for Halifax as Barber completed his hat-trick and tries from Murrell, Moore, Cahalane, Bennion and Ambler, as well as Tyrer kicking nine goals sealed an impressive points win.

Featherstone kept their slim hopes of a top four finish alive with a 44-22 home victory over Workington. First half tries from Handley, Cording, Briggs, Thackeray and Channing found a solitary response from Hulme for 28-4 at the interval. Foster, Hardman and Spears all scored before the hour mark to take Rovers out to a 44-4 lead before Workington tries from Hulme, Phillips and Shackley gave the scoreline some respectability.

The final game of the round was a comfortable away win for second placed London Broncos, this time away at Dewsbury Rams. Naiqama and Eliab had given the visitors a 12-0 lead at the break and in the second half Eliab added his second before tries from Ioane and Williams put London 30-0 ahead. Guzdek scored Dewsbury's only try of the game on sixty-six but Garside added a sixth London try just before the end for a 34-6 win.