Henderson eager to build momentum ahead of Qualifiers

London Broncos coach Andrew Henderson has insisted it is vital his side begin to build momentum ahead of the Qualifiers: starting today at promotion rivals Batley.

London slipped to a 32-14 loss at home to Sheffield last week, but with their place in the Qualifiers long since secured, the Broncos’ mission is now ensuring they head into the promotion shake-up in the best form possible.

Victory at Batley today would go a long way to doing that – as well as having a huge outcome on the destination of the Bulldogs – and Henderson is seeking improvements from his side.

He said: “We started the game really well but we lost our way a little bit and hit the self-destruct button. We lost that energy and desire to defend well for each other and with the ball we were disjointed and disorganised. It’s the first time this season I’ve seen a performance like that from us.

“I’m just hoping it was a one-off. Every time we’ve suffered a loss this season we’ve certainly responded in the right way so I’m expecting a good response this week and a good performance, which we’re building towards.

“These next two weeks for us is ideal preparation for the Super 8s because they are going to have that ‘finals football’ feel against both Batley and Halifax the following week. Their seasons could be determined by these results. They’ve got a lot to play for and so have we.

“We need to bounce back this week and deliver a good performance to get some confidence and build some momentum going into Super 8s. It’s just as important to us that we respond in the right manner but we understand that the opposition we are facing this week and next week are desperate and are fighting for their lives. It’s a fantastic challenge for us and good preparation for what’s to come in the next stage of the competition.”

Half-back Jamie Soward will make his debut on Sunday.