Featherstone Rovers went top of the early season Championship table after they stretched their blistering 100% start with Saturday's win at Barrow.

Featherstone nosed ahead of Halifax after a 20-6 victory at Craven Park.

Jon Steel and Liam Finn scored Rovers' two tries, while half-back Kyle Briggs kicked a stunning eight goals,

Halifax had only gone top on Thursday night as they twice came from behind to beat previous leaders Widnes 30-28 at Naughton Park.

Liam Farrell put Widnes 22-18 up on the hour when the on-loan Wigan forward scored the Vikings' fourth try.

But Halifax struck twice in the last 10 minutes through Shad Royston and Sean Penkywicz for a third straight victory.

Rob Worrincy, Paul White and Lee Paterson weighed in with Halifax's other three tries.

Thomas Coyle, deputising at hooker for ill Widnes captain Mark Smith, touched down twice.

Lee Doran and Richard Varkulis also ran in tries for the Vikings as they lost their 100% record.

In Saturday's other game, Cedric Gay ran in two of his side's six tries as Toulouse moved up to fifth in the table after holding on to beat Keighley Cougars 34-26.

Sheffield claimed their first win of the campaign on Friday night with a 22-10 win at home to Dewsbury.

It was 12-10 at the break as Eagles tries from prop Mitchell Stringer and centre Tangi Ropati were all but cancelled out by efforts from Walker and Sanderson.

Bur Ropati added another after the break, as did loose forward Dane McDonald.

In Sunday's lone fixture, Leigh also stretched their unbeaten record, moving up to third after a comfortable 44-12 win at home to Whitehaven.

Ian Millward's men only led 12-0 at half-time, but went on to score eight tries on their way to a second victory of the campaign.

Dual-registered Warrington duo Tyrone McCarthy and Matty Blythe both ran in tries, while Steve Maden, Dave Alstead, Robbie Paul and Jacob Emmett all got in the act too.

And there were also tries for Mick Nanyn, who also kicked five goals, and Martyn Ridyard, who added a conversion.

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Assistant coach Chris Thorman's late drop goal proved the difference as York City Knights beat South Wales Scorpions 25-24 to leapfrog the Welsh side at the top of the table.

In a see-saw encounter, which proved the pick of Sunday's four matches, the lead change hands on numerous occasions.

Danny Ratcliffe, Joe McLocklan, Brett Waller and Casey Bromilow scored tries for the City Knights, all of them converted by Lee Waterman.

Lewis Mills, Gil Dudson, Craig Richards and Steve Parry all crossed for the visitors, who drop to second after suffering their first defeat.

Rochdale Hornets secured their second victory of the season with a 32-24 win over Workington Town at Spotland.

After racing into a 24-6 half-time lead, Rochdale had to face a second-half comeback from the visitors but hung on to secure victory.

Liam McGovern scored a try and kicked six goals for the home side, who also saw Craig Johnson, Dean Gorton, Phil Wood and Dayne Donoghue cross the line.

In a close-fought encounter at Sedgley Park, Swinton defeated Doncaster 36-30 to move to fourth in the table.

Both sides scored six tries apiece in a highly entertaining encounter.

But it was the boot of Gavin Dodd which proved the difference between the two sides.

Dodd added six goals whilst Doncaster's Simon Brown only managed three.

Gateshead Thunder bounced back from a midweek 100-point humiliation as they secured their first win of the season with a hard fought 24-18 victory over London Skolars.

Thunder had lost 100-4 to Batley in the Northern Rail Cup on Wednesday night.

But a hat-trick of tries by Jimmy Atkinson and one apiece by Kevin Neighbour and Tom Wilson helped secure Thunder their first league points of the year.

Chad Isles, Matt Thomas and Curtis Cunningham scored for the visitors, who fell to their 19th consecutive defeat.

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