Championship Round Two: Squad news, TV coverage & predictions

James Gordon 10 Feb 2023 9:22 PM

Championship ins and outs SWpix — Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix

Here is everything you need to know about Championship Round Two, including squad news, television coverage and our predictions.

It’s the second weekend of the Championship season with clubs aiming to make their mark early.

Toulouse will play a regular season Championship game at Stade Ernest Wallon for the first time, while Barrow and York play their second successive home game looking to bounce back from opening day defeats.

Toulouse v Newcastle Thunder (Saturday, 6pm)

Toulouse have drafted in two more youngsters, Wail Skoundri and Justin Tropis, to cover the absences of Benjamin Laguerre (shoulder) and Olly Ashall-Bott (concussion), while they’re also still missing Calum Gahan (ankle) and Latrell Schaumkel (knee)

Brad Gallagher drops out for Newcastle, who will take a 20-man squad to France and could hand a debut to Greece international Rob Tuliatu.

Prediction: A first regular season home game in the Championship for Toulouse since before COVID, and it should be routine – Toulouse by 24.

Toulouse: Rennie, Jussaume, Marcon, Ralph, Shorrocks, Belmas, Hansen, Stefani, Peyroux, Marion, Pelissier, Akauola, Bretherton, Pezet, Armitage, Richards, Biscaro, Brochon, Lima, Skoundri, Tropis.

Newcastle: Anderson, Bailey, Balmforth, J Chapelhow, T Chapelhow, Clark, Clarke, Clegg, Davies, Donaghy, Flanagan, Foster, Johnson, Lawther, Moore, Tuliatu, Walker, Walsh, Williams, Young.

Barrow Raiders v Sheffield Eagles (Sunday, 3pm)

Prediction: The Cumbrians won’t want to start the season with back-to-back losses – Barrow by 4

Barrow: TBC

Sheffield: Jones-Bishop, Welham, Oakes, Bass, Thackeray, Douglas, Halafihi, Dickinson, Bower, J Farrell, Hodgson, Gwaze, Wood, Broadbent, Kirk, Murphy, Hansen, Liu, Sene-Lefao, Dawson-Jones, Aston.

Batley Bulldogs v Swinton Lions (Sunday, 3pm)

Batley have won their last seven home games against Swinton, and new signing Josh Woods will play his 100th career game if selected.

Prediction: The Bulldogs roll on – Batley by 16

Batley: Buchanan, Campbell, White, Woods, Gledhill, Leak, Hirst, Manning, Walshaw, Brown, Meadows, Ward, Blake, Illycrop, Kibula, Kaye, Richardson, Flynn, Burton, Johnson, Reilly.

Swinton: Abram, Badrock, Baker, Brogan, Burgess, Butt, Case, Cooper, Cox, Delaney, Eaves, Gibson, Gregson, Hatton, Lloyd, Olds, Parnaby, Rodden, Romeo, Spedding, Waterworth

Whitehaven v London Broncos (Sunday, 3pm)

Wales international Dalton Grant drops out for London with a rib injury, but new loan duo Harvie Hill and Zack Eckersley are in.

Whitehaven have got two Wigan loanees of their own to call upon following the signings of Jake Douglas and Junior Nsemba.

Prediction: Tricky one to call, but the Broncos are starting to get things together – London by 4

Whitehaven: Eccleston, Taylor, Teare, Dixon, Bishop, McAvoy, Walker, Holliday, Lanskey, Aiye, Doran, Tabu, Singleton, Bradley, O’Brien, Castle, Rourke, Spencer-Tonks, Ainley, Douglas, Nsemba.

London: Albert, Bassett, Bienek, Davis, Eckersley, Hill, Horsman, Hoyes, B Leyland, O Leyland, Lovell, Macani, Monk, Natoli, Parata, Raiwalui, Silva, Stock, Ulberg, Walker, Williams.

Widnes Vikings v Keighley Cougars (Sunday, 3pm)

The Vikings made a great start to the season with a win at York, but have been dealt a blow with an injury to Tom Gilmore. Danny Craven and Will Evans are in, with the Welsh international set to make his debut.

Widnes hit by Tom Gilmore injury blow

Prediction: Despite the loss of Gilmore, Widnes should still have too much for Keighley at home – Vikings by 10

Widnes: Owens, Ince, Fleming, Evans, Dixon, Craven, Fozard, Amor, Wilde, Bent, Johnstone, Field, Grady, Lyons, Davies, Edge, Hatton, Brown, Tilleke, Walker, Millar.

Keighley: TBC

Featherstone Rovers v Halifax Panthers (Sunday, 4pm)

Featherstone have won their last five home games against Halifax dating back to 2017. The Panthers could hand a debut to Eribe Doro, who replaces Cole Oakley in their only change from the squad that beat Sheffield.

Prediction: A humdinger at Post Office Road, hosts to edge it – Fev by 2

Featherstone: Briscoe, Hankinson, Hall, Gale, Ford, Dean, Kopczak, Jones, Lockwood, Day, Taylor, Bussey, Wildie, Springer, Hardcastle, Cooper, Fleming, Aekins, Cozza, Lacans, Yei.

Halifax: Calcott, Doro, Fairbank, Gee, Inman, Jouffret, Kavanagh, Keyes, King, Larroyer, Maher, Maizen, McComb, Moore, Murray, Rawsthorne, Saltonstall, Tangata, Walmsley, Wood, Woodburn-Hall.