Home starts can help Yorkshire rivals in Championship Shield

Halifax take on Bradford Bulls earlier this season at The Shay.

The former Super League and World Club champions, who had 12 points deducted before the season started, will begin the seven extra fixtures bottom of the table on zero points.

They face Toulouse Olympique - the top-ranked team in the Shield - at Odsal on Sunday and travel to Oldham, currently second from bottom and 11 points clear of Bulls, a week later.

They follow that with an away game against Swinton Lions, who start the competition two places and 12 points above Bradford, on Sunday, August 20.

The Shield involves the Championship’s bottom eight teams at the end of the regular season.

The lowest two after the next seven matches will be relegated, with the team topping the table playing host to the runners-up in the Shield final, which was won by Bradford last year.

All four Yorkshire teams begin with a home fixture. Batley Bulldogs take on Swinton on Sunday, Dewsbury Rams face Rochdale Hornets and Sheffield Eagles play host to Oldham.

Points carry over from the first 23 rounds of the season and Batley begin in second place, eight points behind Toulouse and two ahead of Sheffield.

Bulldogs have already visited Toulouse in the league and Challenge Cup and return there for a Shield fixture on Saturday, September 9.

They will face a fourth trip to France if they end the campaign in second spot, behind Toulouse.

Dewsbury, who lost their opening eight league games, go into the Shield in fourth place, five points above the relegation zone.

The opening round of fixtures was revealed last week, but ‘operational issues’ delayed publication of the full list until Monday.