11 rugby league highlights including Leeds Rhinos, Salford Red Devils..

It was another successful weekend of rugby league action across all three professional divisions.

There are talking points everywhere you look, from Super League to Ligue 1, and as is traditional on Monday morning, we’ve applied the all-and-every-match rule to pick our top takeaways from the weekend.

So without further ado, get ready for your Monday debrief of the weekend’s action.

Anyone fancy going to Salford in the play-offs?

Of course not. Time and time again, the Red Devils continue to defy the odds – to such an extent that these days it’s more of a shock when they don’t hold up against one of the biggest teams in Super League.

Salford are now just two points off second place as we head into the second half of the season and it is now perfectly valid to question whether or not they can finish in the top two. That would put them in a huge position of strength heading into the play-offs and no one would relish a trip to the Red Devils with their season on the line.

And as speculation begins to emerge about Paul Rowley and Leeds, you have to wonder: if Rowley is to be involved in a grand final this season, surely his best chance is with the club he is at now ?

READ NEXT: Salford Red Devils player ratings as Marc Sneyd masterclass inspires St Helens win

No apologies to Leeds Rhinos

If ever there was a night when the excitement and occasion was perfectly acceptable to prove overwhelming for a team, it was Friday night for Leeds Rhinos.

But the way they handled it all – the departure of Rohan Smith and, more importantly, the celebrations and tributes to Rob Burrow – underscores that this team can deliver and produce. That was against an in-form Leigh side too.

Now there are no excuses for the Rhinos. They’ve proven they can deliver: now they have to do it weekly.

Is Leigh entering the last chance salon yet?

It may still be a fraction too early to talk about that, with 12 rounds remaining in 2024 before the play-offs. But after slipping into the top six in recent weeks, Friday was a damaging night for Leigh Leopards.

They are now seven points off the top six going into the international break and there is a feeling that it could take some extraordinary form for Leigh to end the year in the play-offs.

Nobody is talking about Hull KR

Good teams find ways to win when they’re not at their best – and how Hull KR proved their title credentials on Thursday night.

Rovers were certainly not at their best and could easily have left Castleford without a point. But in the end, a late goal means they now sit second and two points off the top before the international break. There’s a lot of hype about many of the top six: Are the Rovers flying under the radar?

Wigan’s latest prodigy deserves a run

With Jai Field gone for the foreseeable future, Matt Peet has a few options at his disposal – but he may have stumbled upon the best one on Friday night.

Jack Farrimond handed just a second Super League start and a home opener: and how he grabbed his chance with both hands. The nature of his performance surely means he gets an extended run after the international break.

READ NEXT: A final 13 rugby league players born in Bradford, including Super League, NRL stars

Denive Balmforth is Hull’s next star

It has been a difficult campaign in 2024 for Hull FC, but what they can perhaps take from such a dismal year is that they have a group of young players who have had valuable experience at Super League level.

And there is one that certainly looks like it has a very bright future in Balmforth. The 20-year-old scored a wonderful try against Warrington Wolves and was generally very, very good. With Amir Bourouh arriving from Salford next year, ensuring Balmforth gets enough game time to continue his development will be vital for new boss John Cartwright.

How much pressure is James Ford under?

You suspect a defeat by his former side York Knights, of all clubs, must have lifted Featherstone manager James Ford.

Rovers were in control at half-time, leading 18-6 – but somehow managed to lose 34-24 to York’s Mark Applegarth in a meeting of the two men who led Wakefield Trinity’s coaching staff early last year. Rovers are now just two points off 10th place and, while still in the play-offs, their season is seriously starting to stumble.

Sheffield may be Wakefield’s biggest threat

There is an argument that indeed Trinity are so far ahead of the pack in the Championship that there is no side that poses a real threat.

But once again on Sunday, Sheffield Eagles proved they cannot be undone when it comes to being in contention for a top flight. They won the big clash with Widnes Vikings to move clear into second place in the Championship and realistically the Eagles could now start dreaming of a Championship Grand Final later in the year.

The Mark Applegarth Effect is in full flow

York won just three of their first 10 Championship games in 2024, which eventually facilitated a change of manager and the appointment of Mark Applegarth. Since he arrived, the Knights are two out of two.

Their most recent win, the aforementioned triumph at Featherstone, moves them to just two points behind Featherstone and the play-off places. While they are also two points clear of the relegation zone, it is certainly a case of looking up the table for York now rather than over their shoulders.

And those who questioned whether Applegarth was capable as a head coach have already been proven wrong.

How many teams are in the picture of relegation to the championship?

The bottom half of the competition has never looked so intriguing. After 12 games, seven teams are separated by just one win, from 7th-placed York to 13th-placed Halifax. You could draw a line through York, who, as mentioned, are now certainly thinking about play- off

But why can’t any club in the seven think alike? All it takes is a good run of form and you’re out of the relegation battle and right in the play-off picture. That said, you lose a few in succession and it’s entirely possible to get cut off in the drift. The next few weeks will be fascinating for some pretty big clubs.

The race for the Ligue 1 title will go straight to the wire

Wins again at the weekend for the two teams who look set to go forward for the rest of the season, Oldham and Keighley Cougars.

The Cougars are keeping pace with an Oldham side that has spent significantly in the off-season – and right now it looks difficult to predict who will be on top at the end of the season.

READ NEXT: Power rankings: Wigan Warriors top, Wakefield Trinity second, Salford Red Devils move up