Leeds Rhinos: Home turf for Rhinos to kick off Qualifiers

LEEDS RHINOS will play two Saturday-afternoon fixtures at Emerald Headingley in their battle against relegation.
Kevin Sinfield.Kevin Sinfield.
Kevin Sinfield.

Rhinos begin their Betfred Qualifiers campaign at home to Championship side Toulouse Olympique on Saturday, August 11 and are back in home action three weeks later against top-flight rivals Hull KR.

Both games will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.

After finishing ninth for the second time in three years, Rhinos will compete with Super League’s other bottom-four teams and the leading quartet from the Championship over the final two months of the season.

Sylvain Houles.Sylvain Houles.
Sylvain Houles.
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The top three teams after seven rounds of the Qualifiers will secure a place in Super League for 2019.

The sides in fourth and fifth will play-off for the 12th top-flight spot in a sudden-death million pound match.

Leeds’ first away fixture is against London Broncos, who finished second in the Championship, on Sunday, August 19.

That will mean two trips to the capital in less than a week if Rhinos win this Sunday’s Ladbrokes Challenge Cup semi-final against Warrington Wolves and book a place at Wembley on Saturday, August 25.

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Leeds also faced London away the week before their 2011 and 2014 Challenge Cup final appearance, losing both times. Rhinos make their third visit of the season to Widnes Vikings on Sunday, September 9, are at home to Salford Red Devils the following Friday and visit Halifax – for the first time since 2003 – on Sunday, September 23, before completing their campaign against Toronto Wolfpack at Headingley on Friday, September 28.

Castleford Tigers begin their Super-8s campaign away to Wigan Warriors on Friday, August 10 and Wakefield Trinity visit Hull the same evening.

The near-neighbours clash at the Jungle in the penultimate round of the competition on Friday, September 21.

Neither team has a Sunday fixture in the Super-8s.

The top-four in the table will go into the semi-finals with a place in October’s Grand Final up for grabs. The opening round in the Championship Shield – for the teams finishing from fifth to 12th – sees Featherstone Rovers play host to Batley Bulldogs and Dewsbury Rams at home to Swinton Lions, both on Sunday, August 12.

The Heavy Woollen rivals – Bulldogs and Rams – square off, for the fourth time this season, at Batley in the second round of matches on Sunday, September 19.