LONDON BRONCOS head coach Mike Eccles has taken aim at rival Super League clubs that “won’t budge” on the proposal to take the top flight to 14 teams.
The capital club has come in for serious praise in 2024 following a mighty challenge to take on the best that rugby league has to offer in the northern hemisphere.
The Broncos knew at the outset of the 2024 Super League campaign that this would be their last following the release of the provisional IMG gradings last year, which placed London in 24th out of 36 professional teams.
For Eccles, he is unsure of what the future holds – and is upset and frustrated that Super League “seems unachievable” for anyone outside the top flight.
“I honestly don’t know (about the future). I’m not being disingenuous; I don’t know what the future is going to look like,” Eccles told Rugby League World.
“Seeing new faces coming through the door and in Broncos shirts has been absolutely magic but it’s going to be difficult to do that back in the Championship.
“The biggest regret is not having the ability to build on it. Right now, I think we’re turning our backs on something which could be very, very special given a three-year building block.
“We know how to do it in terms of needing 7,500 fans and 15 (IMG) points but what we’re saying is that it just seems unachievable.
“We’d love for someone to come and prove us wrong. We’re going to need someone brave enough to put in a lot of money. We’re talking more money in rugby league than has probably been pumped into any club with the smallest glimmers of hopes of ever getting into Super League.
“I don’t know how London are going to do it but also how Bradford and these other clubs are going to surpass clubs who are in front of them and have the head start of already being in Super League for three years.
“It’s really difficult to accept. Everyone has self-interests, I’ve got self-interests for London. People want it one way for various reasons.
“Everyone knows that Super League should be 14 teams, but they won’t budge because it spreads the pot thinner. Nobody wants loop fixtures, but they won’t budge on 14 teams because of the money, it’s ridiculous.
“It’s a very insecure future for us and for anybody else currently outside of Super League who has ambitions of being there.”
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