Why the Eagles' defence is the tier's best kept secret

It was the kind of night that Championship rugby league does better than anywhere else: rain sweeping across the terraces, floodlights fizzing, and two sides refusing to give an inch.

The visitors started brightly, but the hosts' defence held firm through a punishing opening twenty minutes, completing sets and turning the screw with a kicking game that pinned their opponents deep.

With the play-off picture tightening every week, the result carries significance beyond local bragging rights. Every point now matters as the season heads into its final stretch.

Supporters stayed long after the final hooter, and the coach was quick to credit them afterwards: 'That crowd was our eighteenth man tonight. We'll need them again next week.'