Championship 2024: The Love Rugby League team predict the new season

Aaron Bower
Wakefield Trinity, Widnes Vikings, Featherstone Rovers & Swinton Lions

Wakefield Trinity (top left), Widnes Vikings (top right), Featherstone Rovers (bottom left) & Swinton Lions (bottom right) will all play in the Championship in 2024 - Alamy

It’s that time again: the Championship begins this weekend – and throughout 2024, Love Rugby League will be endeavouring to bring you the most comprehensive coverage of the second-tier.

There is arguably more intrigue surrounding the competition than ever before. Wakefield Trinity have arrived with plenty of hype and financial power, but as any Championship fan will tell you, that’s by no means a guarantee for success. But at the other end of the table, there are plenty of subplots, too.

With confirmation earlier this week that a third team could be relegated in 2024 as the Championship moves towards becoming a 12-team competition, there’s more jeopardy at the bottom than ever before. Here’s how our team think the season will play out..

Drew Darbyshire

  1. Wakefield Trinity
  2. Toulouse Olympique
  3. ⁠Bradford Bulls
  4. ⁠Featherstone Rovers
  5. ⁠Sheffield Eagles
  6. ⁠Halifax Panthers
  7. York Knights
  8. ⁠Batley Bulldogs
  9. ⁠Widnes Vikings
  10. ⁠Doncaster
  11. Swinton Lions
  12. ⁠Barrow Raiders
  13. ⁠Whitehaven
  14. Dewsbury Rams

Championship Grand Final: Wakefield Trinity v Toulouse
Championship winner: Wakefield Trinity

Wakefield have enjoyed an impressive recruitment drive following their relegation from Super League, preparing for their new era under Daryl Powell.

I think Trinity have the strongest squad in the Championship, and rightly so, with the money they’ve spent over the off-season. They look well-rounded all over the park, so I think they’ll be the benchmark in the Championship this season.

The race for the play-offs will be mouth-watering to say the least. There wasn’t much separating third place and eighth place in my predictions, so no doubt I’ll be wrong with my predictions! Tin hat at the ready. As for the bottom end of the table, it’s another tough one to call, with not much separating my predicted bottom four.

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Aaron Bower

  1. Wakefield Trinity
  2. Bradford Bulls
  3. Toulouse Olympique
  4. Featherstone Rovers
  5. York Knights
  6. Halifax Panthers
  7. Sheffield Eagles
  8. Batley Bulldogs
  9. Widnes Vikings
  10. Barrow Raiders
  11. Doncaster
  12. Dewsbury Rams
  13. Swinton Lions
  14. Whitehaven

Championship Grand Final: Wakefield Trinity v Bradford Bulls
Championship winner: Wakefield Trinity

It feels, to me at least, like the Championship can be split into three different mini-divisions. There is a clear four of Wakefield, Bradford, Toulouse and Featherstone and while Wakefield should obviously finish top, you could throw a blanket over the other three as to their order in the top four. Bradford just get the edge because I suspect they’ll recruit heavily as the season rolls on.

Then there’s everyone from York down to Widnes in my predictions; some should make the top six, others will have hopes of doing so. Beneath them, I think five teams are battling it out to avoid being in the bottom two that go down automatically – but the promoted two of Doncaster and Dewsbury do have a chance of survival – but any of them could be third-bottom and forced to play off for their Championship survival.

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Ben Olawumi

  1. Wakefield Trinity
  2. Toulouse Olympique
  3. York Knights
  4. Bradford Bulls
  5. Featherstone Rovers
  6. Halifax Panthers
  7. Sheffield Eagles
  8. Widnes Vikings
  9. Batley Bulldogs
  10. Doncaster
  11. Barrow Raiders
  12. Swinton Lions
  13. Whitehaven
  14. Dewsbury Rams

Championship Grand Final: Wakefield v Toulouse
Championship winner: Wakefield Trinity

Wakefield might have been knocked out of the Challenge Cup last weekend, but it’s hard to envisage many more defeats this season. With the squad they’ve assembled, Daryl Powell in as head coach and Matt Ellis taking ownership, Trinity look a new beast both on and off the field.

Elsewhere, I think York will give it a good go this year, while we’ll see a drop off from Featherstone compared to what we’ve witnessed in recent years. Doncaster should go reasonably well having invested wisely since promotion, but last year’s League 1 champions Dewsbury – I think – are in for a tough ride having changed coaches.

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Ross Heppenstall

  1. Wakefield Trinity
  2. Toulouse Olympique
  3. Featherstone Rovers
  4. Bradford Bulls
  5. Halifax Panthers
  6. York Knights
  7. Widnes Vikings
  8. Batley Bulldogs
  9. Sheffield Eagles
  10. Barrow Raiders
  11. Doncaster
  12. Swinton Lions
  13. Dewsbury Rams
  14. Whitehaven

Wakefield appear a club reborn following their relegation to the Championship and it will surely take a special team to stop them finishing top.

The rest of the leading pack looks set to be made up of the usual suspects, including Toulouse, Featherstone, Bradford, Halifax and York in what is yet again a highly competitive division.

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