Bell to toll on Broken Broncos?



It is unlikely that a 70-0 hammering at the hands of Wigan Warriors will singularly seal the fate of London Broncos, however the scoreline from Saturday’s Challenge Cup won’t have helped.

The Rugby Football League arguably didn’t help the sole representatives of the capital by electing to stage the televised match at Leigh Sports Village, a stadium with a Wigan postcode.

For a sport that prides itself on the pillars of fairness and competitiveness, it seemed to be a peculiar move, but in hindsight was rendered irrelevant.

Soured: Aussie Jamie Soward (right) was brought to London just for the Cup
What is relevant and real is the future of the Broncos as an entity hangs in the balance; a fact long known to the rugby league fraternity, but brought sharply in to focus for all to see following such public humiliation.

You could, perhaps, even say that the RFL were quite clever to host the game so close to Wigan, so at least they could draw a crowd rather than hope for a large portion of the Broncos 1500 average home crowd to turn out at a neutral venue for a game that they never had a chance in.

Where the RFL maybe need to change their stance, is to abandon the concept of a London-based Super League side altogether for now.

They have been nomadic in their 30 year existence and have no trophies to show, nor a ground they can call their own. Soon it could well be that they have no fans to play to.

The licensing system which was put in to place by Super League, which prevented relegation, has not benefited the club in the way it was hoped or expected.

If Catalan Dragons are the example of a roaring success to come out of the much maligned and soon to be scrapped licensing system, the Broncos – along with the Welsh side ‘Celtic Crusaders’ – are quite the antithesis.

When questioned about the potential need to save the club, head coach Tony Rea said in the aftermath of the Wigan defeat that: “No team is worth it when they are playing as we did.”

Though the Broncos youth development is said to be impressive, it is ultimately not transferring on to the pitch and they will more than likely end up with Super League’s wooden spoon.

Nearby London Skolars and new club Hemel Stags are both reasonably competitive in the third tier and it may be better to follow suit and start from scratch and build organically.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2025 NRL Grand Final Preview: Melbourne Storm v Brisbane Broncos

Image
Melbourne Storm are looking to go one step further than last year’s runner-up spot when they take to the field at Accor Stadium on Sunday evening against the Brisbane Broncos. The two sides topped the try-scoring charts (Storm 125, Broncos 122) and an absolute classic is on the cards. The Broncos ended Penrith’s bid for a fifth successive title – coming from 14 points behind at half-time at a raucous Suncorp Stadium last week to bring the Panthers dominant rein to an end – but this surely is a game too far for Michael Maguire and his team. They will absolutely take confidence from their dramatic Golden Point win over minor premiers, Canberra, and the comeback against one of the greatest ever teams to play the sport. However, they have had two days less recovery time than their opponents, with the Storm fresh from swatting aside a gutsy Cronulla outfit at AAMI Park. Melbourne like to get in front early in games and stay there, just like they did against the Sharks. A fast start f...
Read more

The Big Preview: Ashes 2025/26

Image
The wait is over. The time has come for the cricket to do the talking. Securing an Ashes victory in Australia is England’s equivalent of scaling Everest. Winning on the subcontinent may be technically more challenging, but this is the one series where legends are created and, just occasionally, getting up to tune in to the action in the middle of the night during the bleak British winter may be rewarded. Not since the 2010/11 iteration under the captaincy of Alistair Cook, though, has that been the case. When Chris Tremlett bowled tailender Michael Beer at the SCG not long after the New Year’s festivities had died down, not many (other than Glenn McGrath) would have foreseen England failing to register a single victory in 15 attempts…FIFTEEN! That is the scale of the uphill challenge that awaits current skipper, Ben Stokes, and head coach Brendon McCullum . For the latter, his whole tenure since being appointed in May 2022, has built towards this next two months. His record of 25 win...
Read more

Feature: Why 'timeless' Junction Oval is a MUST for any cricket fan

Image
  The Shane Warne Stand There are places in this world where time seems to stand reassuringly still. The Junction Oval, St Kilda, in Melbourne’s inner southern suburbs is one of those sanctums which bequeaths its visitors an oasis of calm tucked in a corner of the picturesque sporting hub that is Albert Park. Just metres away from where the Australian leg of the Formula 1 World Championships is held every March, you can peep beyond the various green tinges of the tree-lined permitter fences to this cricket ground and bear witness to the whirring din of life continuing its increasingly fast pace. But, why would you want to look that far? Avert your eyes to the middle distance and lose yourself in a scene that could pass as much for 1925 as 2025. The white picket fence which encircles the vibrant green playing surface is a perfect nod to tradition, and even the odd advertising billboard cannot lessen its charm. Grass banks and a white picket fence A quaint, almost library-lik...
Read more