Leeds Rhinos stare up Batley's Mount Pleasant slope as county's clubs converge in Middle 8s

Leeds Rhinos, of course, saw their fate decided when Sunday’s 23-22 defeat to Widnes Vikings meant Super League’s embarrassed reigning champions were confirmed in the Middle Eights.

The are now left facing a relegation battle rather than prolonging their title defence.

In just a few months, they have gone from the highs of Grand Final glory and facing the might of the NRL, to contemplating potential fixtures with Leigh, Halifax and Batley Bulldogs.

But who will be there with befuddled Leeds when the Middle 8s – now in their second year – start up next month?

Whoever loses between Hull KR and Huddersfield Giants at Craven Park on Friday will be consigned to the bottom-four, too, and, in all likelihood, the victor will soon follow suit.

Indeed, the current bottom four is likely to be the same quartet that is plunged into jeopardy come August.

Salford Red Devils (ninth), Huddersfield (10th) and Hull KR (11th) are all locked together on 12 points with just three games to go.

That trio is five points adrift of Castleford Tigers, who sit in the relative sanctity of eighth place.

One of those would need to win all three remaining games and hope Castleford, Wakefield Trinity (seventh) or Widnes Vikings (sixth) lose all three of their final fixtures, too.

It is mathematically still possible, if unlikely, although with Wakefield and Widnes already on 18 points, those two sides do appear safe.

You can understand, though, why Castleford moved to sign former England star Rangi Chase on Thursday; they badly need a lift whichever competition they end up in.

What could yet really place them in the mire, though, is the outcome of Salford’s appeal against their six-point deduction for salary cap breaches.

That is expected to be decided tomorrow.

If they get all six points returned, Castleford will suddenly end up in that invidious bottom four.

Admittedly, that outcome is highly unlikely but, nevertheless, any positive outcome for Salford – who edged Tigers 22-18 on Friday – will add further pressure on Daryl Powell’s side who have lost four successive games ahead of Sunday’s unenviable home match with Catalans Dragons.

When the Qualifiers begin, meanwhile, all eight clubs start on zero points and then play each other once, either home or away.

At the end of those seven extra fixtures, the top three earn a Super League place in 2017 while the fourth-placed side will host the club that finishes fifth in the Million Pound Game to decide the final spot in Super League. Wakefield, who finished bottom of the initial 12-team format, defeated Bradford Bulls at that stage last year and all four of the elite sides actually stayed up.

But representatives from the Championship – which is becoming more interesting by the week – hope to shake up that status quo in the months ahead.

Leigh, who look set to finish top for a third successive season, and second-placed London Broncos have already secured their places.

However, below them there is a fascinating battle ensuing between four West Yorkshire rivals.

Halifax (third) and Batley (fourth) sit on 27 points with Bradford (fifth) and Featherstone Rovers (sixth) on 24. With three rounds to go, any two of that quartet could yet qualify, but it is a particularly nervous time for Bradford who face the very real threat of missing out on the chance to have another crack at promotion.

They looked set to end Leigh’s 18-match unbeaten league run on Sunday only to concede a late try and lose 22-20 – a result that could have serious repercussions.

If they fail to overcome that deficit and haul themselves back into the top four, the former World Club champions will face a third season in the second tier.

They have finally recruited a half-back – ironically, two – after playing without a recognised one for much of the year, but the arrival of Canterbury Bulldogs’ Dane Chisholm and London’s Joe Keyes could come too late.

Both may debut in Sunday’s home match with strugglers Whitehaven, which is the proverbial ‘must-win’ game for Rohan Smith, the Australian coach who replaced James Lowes in May after his predecessor quit.

Halifax, who earned their place against the odds in the inaugural Qualifiers last term, are on a seven-game winning run and seem well set, although they must head to Leigh this Sunday.

But Batley – part-timers like Halifax and in direct contrast to Leigh, London and Bradford – are the side that all neutrals will be hoping complete the job. If they beat Featherstone this weekend in a huge fixture for both, they will be all but there. In the charismatic John Kear’s final season at Mount Pleasant before he returns to Wakefield as director of rugby, one of the sport’s founder clubs have a glorious chance to thrust themselves into the limelight.

During his reign, they have mixed it with Super League sides in the Challenge Cup. But, given their comparatively paltry budget and unfashionable status, reaching the Qualifiers would be a significant achievement.

The prospect of Leeds’s star-studded side slogging it up that famous slope at Mount Pleasant is one to consider.