Cougars nearly there

KEIGHLEY Cougars’ 20-16 home defeat of Hunslet means that Barry Eaton’s side will be assured of a second-placed finish in Co-operative Championship One if they win against London Skolars on Friday night.

The Cougars would then face a home elimination semi-final against either York or the Roughyeds — depending on those two sides’ respective results in two weeks’ time — with the winners of that game gaining a place in the play-off final at the Halliwell Jones Stadium on Sunday, October 4.

Should York fail to defeat Swinton at home a week on Saturday, then Oldham can still sneak into third place by defeating Hunslet away from home the following day.

However, if the Knights pick up a bonus point in defeat, coupled with a Roughyeds victory, then third place would come down to points difference, on which the Knights are slightly in front at present.

Blackpool could still relegate the Roughyeds to fifth if they defeat unbeaten Dewsbury and the Roughyeds fail to muster a bonus point at Hunslet, with the Hawks still having designs on hiking themselves up a place.

Swinton, currently seventh, could yet overtake Hunslet in sixth in the event of the Lions winning at York and Hunslet failing to get at least a bonus point.

Remaining fixtures —

Friday, August 28: London Skolars v Keighley (6.30pm).

Saturday, September 5: York v Swinton (6pm).

Sunday, September 6 (all 3pm): Blackpool v Dewsbury; Hunslet v Oldham; Hornets RL v Workington.

Play-off structure (winning team promoted to the Co-operative Championship) —

Sunday, September 13: Elimination play-off A (4th v 7th) and elimination play-off B (5th v 6th).

Sunday, September 20: Qualifying semi-final (2nd v 3rd) and elimination semi-final (winners of elimination play-off A v winners of elimination play-off B).

Sunday, September 27: Final eliminator (losers of qualifying semi-final v winners of elimination semi-final).

Sunday, October 4 (at Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington): Play-off final (winners of qualifying semi-final v winners of final eliminator).