Fri 16th Feb: SL: St Helens v London Broncos KO 8pm (Sky/SL+)

[Click]

46 minutes ago, Hughsehhh said:

Moaning about Barry and Tez is now a bigger cliché than the verbiage that emits from their mouths nowadays

Probably because people don't enjoy hear them ramble on. 

[Chris22]

Pleased with our debutants especially tonight, good to see both Whitley and Clark get over for their first tries. It did have a bit of a pre season friendly feel to it, with us never really having to get out of second gear.

London tried hard but it was always going to be a tough night. Feel a bit sorry for them because their opening few fixtures are not kind.

[gingerjon]

7 hours ago, Chris22 said:

Feel a bit sorry for them because their opening few fixtures are not kind.

Historically, and this is a 'way back in the day' moment, it wasn't a bad thing to have games like this at the start of the year as you might catch the opposition a bit undercooked.

Last night though, and I wasn't watching too closely as I was having catch up beers online with a friend like it was still lockdown 2020, I thought London, from the sponsorless t-shirts to the performance across the field, did not look good at all.

[JonNgog]

London are still largely part-time, and haven’t brought in significant Super League experience. Their coach has performed miracles getting them here but they’re going to look out of their depth all year.

Edited February 17 by JonNgog

[Londonbornirishbred]

I thought Saints were average and against sterner opposition may have paid the price for quite a errors they made, but against a side I think will struggle to beat anyone this year, they were home and hosed inside 20 minutes.

It's a crying shame that London can't seem to attract a shirt sponsor in SL which will certainly not be any easier when they're in the 2'nd tier next year.

It's going to be a long, painfull.and fully televised season.

[Yorky]

57 minutes ago, Londonbornirishbred said:

I thought Saints were average and against sterner opposition may have paid the price for quite a errors they made, but against a side I think will struggle to beat anyone this year, they were home and hosed inside 20 minutes.

It's a crying shame that London can't seem to attract a shirt sponsor in SL which will certainly not be any easier when they're in the 2'nd tier next year.

It's going to be a long, painfull.and fully televised season.

Seems bizarre that now they are in the Superleague with all games televised on sky plus possibility of a game or 2 on BBC that a business wouldn't want to sponsor the shirt with all the coverage and exposure it would get - hopefully they find one soon.

On a different note, it's almost inevitable that they won't be playing superleague next season - but points wise, how many points do people think London can realistically get? I really hope they can pick up a few wins this year, its been a brilliant effort to get promoted and it doesn't do anyone any good if they get humiliated every week and end on zero points

[JonNgog]

22 minutes ago, Yorky said:

Seems bizarre that now they are in the Superleague with all games televised on sky plus possibility of a game or 2 on BBC that a business wouldn't want to sponsor the shirt with all the coverage and exposure it would get - hopefully they find one soon.

On a different note, it's almost inevitable that they won't be playing superleague next season - but points wise, how many points do people think London can realistically get? I really hope they can pick up a few wins this year, its been a brilliant effort to get promoted and it doesn't do anyone any good if they get humiliated every week and end on zero points

frankly I would be surprised if they win a game. Perhaps if they catch someone like Cas or Salford on an off day.

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

Hell's teeth - not only do I get the winner right but the margin as well. Downhill for the rest of the season.

[Coggo]

This is being replayed on Sky. That Broncos side is worse than the one that got promoted. Championship quality. 

[Josef K]

My MoM from last nights match was the London fans, they put myself to shame as i was complaining about going to the match even though i got picked up and dropped off. Their side put up a good performance as well for a part time team ravaged by injury, they moved the ball around really quickly and could’ve had a couple more tries.
As for Saints it was ok, Bell, Percival, Clarke, Whitley, Welsby had good games but our kicks in general play was average at best. 
I can see the goal kicking being a problem yet again for Saints, Makinson & Percy are very hit & miss, miss, hit, miss, miss.
The big positive for Saints was the attendance, it is amazing how many RL fans turn up in the last second. 

[JT RL]

I like that they have no sponsor on the shirt

but don’t like that it does not have a proper deep chevron

[LeeF]

17 hours ago, Archie Gordon said:

Nice!

Have a test run of the bunker system *before* the weekend, you say? Don't be daft.

It was tested before this weeks fixtures and will no doubt be refined over the next few weeks

[Southern Reiver]

5 hours ago, Coggo said:

This is being replayed on Sky. That Broncos side is worse than the one that got promoted. Championship quality. 

You’re not wrong and they do need to bring in a few more players with quality. But an open question to all. With guaranteed relegation back to Championship wherever the team ended up on the league table, even if you got to the Grand Final, how would you spend your money on a squad with the knowledge that a team of newly signed SL (probably journeymen) players would move on in 9 months time. Or work on basis of a squad for next year and maybe some players might move on and become a SL regular with another team.

[Click]

15 minutes ago, Southern Reiver said:

You’re not wrong and they do need to bring in a few more players with quality. But an open question to all. With guaranteed relegation back to Championship wherever the team ended up on the league table, even if you got to the Grand Final, how would you spend your money on a squad with the knowledge that a team of newly signed SL (probably journeymen) players would move on in 9 months time. Or work on basis of a squad for next year and maybe some players might move on and become a SL regular with another team.

We should be spending some money on the club to actually try and get some benefit from the exposure we are getting this year. Getting flogged by 40/50/60 points every match will turn everybody off from wanting to be involved, and will kill off next season before it begins.

Just because we're guarenteed to go down, doesn't mean the season should be written off. 

There are so many factors involved in the IMG scoring where London have failed, and a season in SL could do wonders to those scores if we actually tried to capatialise on the exposure and everything else that being in SL brings.

[Ivarr the Boneless]

10 hours ago, JonNgog said:

London are still largely part-time, and haven’t brought in significant Super League experience. Their coach has performed miracles getting them here but they’re going to look out of their depth all year.

London are mainly, but not exclusively, full time

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/no-helmets-required/2024/feb/08/london-broncos-are-back-in-super-league-but-doomed-before-it-starts

[watcherofRL]

On 16/02/2024 at 20:27, JonNgog said:

Feels more like a one sided Challenge Cup tie. London look like an average Championship side… which I guess they basically are. The half backs look fairly handy though.

Are you joking - half backs were average at best! Jack not too bad but meadows was fire and if hasn’t got 40-20 there would be nothing! He missed tackle after tackle 

[watcherofRL]

On 16/02/2024 at 22:20, THE RED ROOSTER said:

Spot on I am afraid, Oli Leyland had a great game for London, but on the whole the effort was there but the ability was not. Not a great game to watch unless your a Saints fan. Rugby league is a social darwinistic sport where the strong devour the weak and the final score here does not lie.

For London, I feel a player such as, Dennis Moran, Mark McLinden, Jamie Soward, or Jarrod Sammut would make a difference and snag a few wins against some of te lesser sides. Problem is though money is tight with no main sponsor.

Depresasing night

Sammut he’s a liability 

[Click]

On 18/02/2024 at 21:27, watcherofRL said:

Sammut he’s a liability 

I would take Sammut over Meadows any day of the week.

I am not sure what definition of fire that you use but saying "Meadows was fire" and then saying he did nothing, doesn't make much sense.

[watcherofRL]

On 20/02/2024 at 12:26, Click said:

I would take Sammut over Meadows any day of the week.

I am not sure what definition of fire that you use but saying "Meadows was fire" and then saying he did nothing, doesn't make much sense.

Typo - dire