Super League 2024: London Broncos preview, players to watch and predicted finish

[Rugby League World]

Rugby League World says Fairytales can come true, just ask London Broncos. A fifth-place finish in the Championship looked a positive outcome in Mike Eccles’...

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[DG70]

Can see London surviving at the expense of Salford who have lost a lot of quality and replaced it with average players in a paper thin squad.

[ATLANTISMAN]

And Castleford Tigers i would target last time in SL 2019 the Broncos went down winning 10 matches.

IMHO winning 6 will keep them up this time.

Target teams 

Salford Red Devils

Hull FC

Castleford Tigers

P

 

 

[Archie Gordon]

Have we entered a world where IMG gradings no longer count? 

In any case, Broncos will do well to put 3 wins together.

[MZH]

4 hours ago, Archie Gordon said:

Have we entered a world where IMG gradings no longer count? 

In any case, Broncos will do well to put 3 wins together.

I was thinking the same. They might (and it's a long shot) avoid finishing bottom. But it's unlikely to do much to keep them up.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

On 11/02/2024 at 18:50, MZH said:

I was thinking the same. They might (and it's a long shot) avoid finishing bottom. But it's unlikely to do much to keep them up.

A pointless season for Broncos as no chance of staying up in gradings 

May also be pointless in the table top

O

Potentially a VERY damaging season for RL in the south with Broncos getting smashed regularly in front of vanishing crowds 

Edited February 15 by Bedfordshire Bronco

[Henson Park Old Firm]

https://www.swlondoner.co.uk/sport/14022024-london-broncos-defiant-in-the-face-of-super-league-adversity

[Archie Gordon]

6 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

A pointless season for Broncos as no chance of staying up in gradings 

May also be pointless in the table top

O

Potentially a VERY damaging season for RL in the south with Broncos getting smashed regularly in front of vanishing crowds 

They really do need to change direction quickly. Announcing a plan to remain FT and then bringing in a couple of decent signings is an absolute must. I fear another false dawn.

But if everyone who has taken up the Catalan free tickets shows up, they might start with a 4k crowd. I hope so.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 hour ago, Archie Gordon said:

They really do need to change direction quickly. Announcing a plan to remain FT and then bringing in a couple of decent signings is an absolute must. I fear another false dawn.

But if everyone who has taken up the Catalan free tickets shows up, they might start with a 4k crowd. I hope so.

Can't see how anyone sees it as any kind of new dawn

Plough lane is a nice stadium but in the wrong part of London. Everyone knows Broncos are relegated anyway and that even targeting 3 wins is unlikely 

Maybe 2000 fans a week by round 7 and almost all will be away fans 

More than ever I think this may well be the end of Broncos by the end of the season

[Henson Park Old Firm]

I'll laugh if London pull off a Leigh Challenge Cup this year.

[Click]

2 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Can't see how anyone sees it as any kind of new dawn

Plough lane is a nice stadium but in the wrong part of London. Everyone knows Broncos are relegated anyway and that even targeting 3 wins is unlikely 

Maybe 2000 fans a week by round 7 and almost all will be away fans 

More than ever I think this may well be the end of Broncos by the end of the season

I am not sure how this could be the end of the Broncos by this season - If anything , this is probably going to be almost the most profitable/least loss the club has had for many years - With almost no squad investment, paying less wages than we had at the end of last season and getting SL money for the year. 

I always hear that Plough lane is in the wrong part of London - but I never get a coherent answer as to why, other than the people that are usually saying it is the wrong part of London, are the ones that lived next to the last Stadium.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

42 minutes ago, Click said:

I am not sure how this could be the end of the Broncos by this season - If anything , this is probably going to be almost the most profitable/least loss the club has had for many years - With almost no squad investment, paying less wages than we had at the end of last season and getting SL money for the year. 

I always hear that Plough lane is in the wrong part of London - but I never get a coherent answer as to why, other than the people that are usually saying it is the wrong part of London, are the ones that lived next to the last Stadium.

'Most profitable'??? We have a rich owner (for now)....I don't care about profits 

One thing above all matters and has always mattered for RL in London and that is attendance/support .....and now it is crucial for IMG

London may well not win a single game this year.....it may well put off a massive amount of people ever bothering again .....we have nit really recovered from 2014

I would FAR prefer to be in the championship this season ....then put all the clubs resources into building up a fan base with a winning season 

It's a pain to get to by train, tube and especially by car. Compare to say Ealing, Barnet, Hive which being on the outskirts is easier to get in and out of ....driving any further into London becomes torture....and that is independent of whichever way you drive to approach Wimbledon (north, east, central, south or west)

Outer suburbs of North / West London works best. M4,M3 and M1 then all connectable ....also it is the 'rugby' part of London 

Barring a miracle of a season results wise I won't be choosing to drive/walk 2 plus hours there and back to see a non competitive match  

 

 

Edited February 15 by Bedfordshire Bronco

[Click]

30 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

'Most profitable'??? We have a rich owner (for now)....I don't care about profits 

One thing above all matters and has always mattered for RL in London and that is attendance/support .....and now it is crucial for IMG

London may well not win a single game this year.....it may well put off a massive amount of people ever bothering again .....we have nit really recovered from 2014

I would FAR prefer to be in the championship this season ....then put all the clubs resources into building up a fan base with a winning season 

It's a pain to get to by train, tube and especially by car. Compare to say Ealing, Barnet, Hive which being on the outskirts is easier to get in and out of ....driving any further into London becomes torture....and that is independent of whichever way you drive to approach Wimbledon (north, east, central, south or west)

Outer suburbs of North / West London works best. M4,M3 and M1 then all connectable ....also it is the 'rugby' part of London 

Barring a miracle of a season results wise I won't be choosing to drive/walk 2 plus hours there and back to see a non competitive match  

 

 

David Hughes isn't that rich anymore, he isn't spending anywhere near the amount of money that he used to, so yes it does matter if the club is somewhat profitable, or just not losing a huge amount of money that they do not wish to cover anymore.

London RL attendances will never increase in the Championship, no one in London is interested in second tier RL. I don't know what the future holds for LB, but it's long term future certainly isn't in the Championship, it will be SL or it will not exist in 10 + years IMO.

In regards to the ground, in other words - the ground is not suitable for YOU to get to. I can get public transport relatively easily to and from Wimbledon in comparison to Ealing. 

I am not sure what a 'rugby' part of London is, you mean there are Rugby Union teams based there? So what? They play a different sport to us, just because they have RU teams doesn't make it the part of London that is interested in 'Rugby'

 

[Exiled Wiganer]

It’s less than an hour drive from ours, so I will be attending for the first time in a long time (for life reasons). The Broncos have defied the odds on the pitch many times before, so I wouldn’t bet against their doing so again. 

[ATLANTISMAN]

Broncos will finish 10 or 11 this year

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 hour ago, Click said:

David Hughes isn't that rich anymore, he isn't spending anywhere near the amount of money that he used to, so yes it does matter if the club is somewhat profitable, or just not losing a huge amount of money that they do not wish to cover anymore.

London RL attendances will never increase in the Championship, no one in London is interested in second tier RL. I don't know what the future holds for LB, but it's long term future certainly isn't in the Championship, it will be SL or it will not exist in 10 + years IMO.

In regards to the ground, in other words - the ground is not suitable for YOU to get to. I can get public transport relatively easily to and from Wimbledon in comparison to Ealing. 

I am not sure what a 'rugby' part of London is, you mean there are Rugby Union teams based there? So what? They play a different sport to us, just because they have RU teams doesn't make it the part of London that is interested in 'Rugby'

 

Not true....Wimbledon is far harder to get to from pretty much anywhere that isn't south or central London ....the surrounding outside areas of London to the north and west of London is afar greater population than that from the south and east 

And YES .....the majority of fans of Broncos like both codes...in many/most cases they are southern union fans who also like league .....there are far more rugby fans in north and west London compared to the rest (hence the concentration of clubs)

Essentially because you as a minority that find it easy to get to Wimbledon think it's great 

The overwhelming number of Bronco fans think it's too hard to get to 

Hence despite it being an amazing stadium the crowds hardly broke a few hundred 

Make all the excuses you want because it's convenient for you but the crowds after a few games will reflect the poor location....

We may well see the lowest ever average SL attendance across a year ....will that be proof enough for you? I'll bookmark this one just in case 

[Click]

4 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Not true....Wimbledon is far harder to get to from pretty much anywhere that isn't south or central London ....the surrounding outside areas of London to the north and west of London is afar greater population than that from the south and east 

And YES .....the majority of fans of Broncos like both codes...in many/most cases they are southern union fans who also like league .....there are far more rugby fans in north and west London compared to the rest (hence the concentration of clubs)

Essentially because you as a minority that find it easy to get to Wimbledon think it's great 

The overwhelming number of Bronco fans think it's too hard to get to 

Hence despite it being an amazing stadium the crowds hardly broke a few hundred 

Make all the excuses you want because it's convenient for you but the crowds after a few games will reflect the poor location....

We may well see the lowest ever average SL attendance across a year ....will that be proof enough for you? I'll bookmark this one just in case 

It's almost like if you play at a ground at any part of London, it may be harder for people on the opposite side of London to get there. Who would have thought that might be a thing?

London is a city of 7/8 million people, I don't think the general amount of people in West & North London is considerably higher than South London and Central London. It's still bigger than anywhere else that has an RL team in the country. 

I am not sure how you get the conclusion that the majority of Broncos fans are fans of both Union and League - When we played as Harlequins, there wasn't a huge overlap of people that would come for the Union and stay for the League, or League fans that would turn up early to watch the Union (during the time we had double headers). 

There are many reasons why the crowds at Broncos and Wimbledon are bad, one may be that existing fans struggle to get to the ground - I have only seen a few people say that is an issue for them. Most of Broncos fans come from all over London, because we have played all over London. We played a number of years in South London, but screw those fans because you find it harder to get to Wimbledon compared to Ealing because apparently the majority of fans find it harder to get to - How do you get that knowledge? Other than it's harder for YOU to get to.

Wimbledon is a nice stadium, Ealing was a glorified wedding venue that the Broncos didn't have any real future in, other than if they want to stay as a Part Time club in the Championship/League 1. My preference isn't for Wimbledon because it is easier for me, I still haven't even visited the stadium since we have moved there.

[Archie Gordon]

Eccles on BBC Sport saying he has no idea what Broncos have planned for 2025. Hoping that SL will expand or that finishing 11th might save them. A refusal to accept reality and hope for the best seems to be the plan. As always, infuriating.

[sam4731]

On 11/02/2024 at 13:45, DG70 said:

Can see London surviving at the expense of Salford who have lost a lot of quality and replaced it with average players in a paper thin squad.

If London are in SL in 2025 I will parade naked on horseback through the centre of Coventry chanting David Hughes' name.

[THE RED ROOSTER]

Reading this thread, I feel like Michael Coreleone in Godfather III.

First, David Hughes is a retired oil futures trader, his income and spending power is limited. In order for London to progress the club needs to be under new ownership either consortium or cashed up mega fan.

Secondly, If you have lived and worked in London you will know it is easier to get into and through London than into and then back out of the city. I spent the first 24 years of my life in that part of London with the noise of speedway at the adjacent dog track in the evenings. The stadium is an ar*e to get to, and BTW when I was into soccer, last century, the Dons were my team. It's probably the least accessable of all the London nomads home venues in the last 28 years.

Third point, as has been debated to destruction here, it's no good relying on Union or Soccer fans not enough of either group likes RL. The game has to sell itself and that means a well funded club that is competitive. See Point 1

Fourth point for a national competition the London Broncos lack a shirt sponsor, and the merchandise is sub-optimal though I can exclusively reveal on TRL that the Broncos will have a £ 25 St Vergo branded T-shirt https://saintvirgo.store/clothingshop/p/broncos-tshirt-black on sale next week.

Fifth point, The Dons are kicking their tenants out while the ground is being re-seeded. So the home games against Castleford and St Helens date and venue are now up in the air. Surely not Ebbsfleet or dilapidated Rosslyn Park for Super League

Finally, I will be going to a few Broncos games this year, despite TV coverage. as I feel fans need to support the game outside the M62 otherwise it's going down the gurgler.

 

[Taffy Tiger]

On 11/02/2024 at 13:57, ATLANTISMAN said:

And Castleford Tigers i would target last time in SL 2019 the Broncos went down winning 10 matches.

IMHO winning 6 will keep them up this time.

Target teams 

Salford Red Devils

Hull FC

Castleford Tigers

P

 

 

Hi Atlantisman . They probably won't stay up if they win the league 

[r1ch1e]

The stadium is a 15-20 minute walk from a Tube station, and 10min walk from a National Rail station, no issues getting there IMO.