LONDON BRONCOS coach Mike Eccles is hoping to have more selection options for successive home games against York and Sheffield.
The Knights visit the Cherry Red Records Stadium at Wimbledon on Saturday and the Eagles on Sunday, May 11.
Eccles is plotting a points haul after three consecutive defeats, at Featherstone in the 1895 Cup quarter-finals and at home to Batley and away to Barrow in the league, preceded the trip to Halifax yesterday (Sunday, April 27).
Already operating with a lean squad in the aftermath of budget cuts following the club’s Super League exit, the Broncos have been hit by injuries, while dual-registration availability has dipped compared to earlier in the campaign.
Disappointed by four defeats in the first six league matches but bolstered by the return to training of Australian halfback Connor O’Beirne, Eccles sounded a positive note as he told the club website: “Things will change and get better.
“We have been down on bodies and down on confidence, but this season was always going to be challenging.
“We got out of the blocks well, and were good at Bradford (in the first round of the Championship) then won against Featherstone (Hunslet have also been beaten).
“But for the last couple of weeks, we have been down to our last 17 pretty much.
“There have been injuries and you can’t rely on dual-registration and loans, especially when you’re in London. When you don’t get those players, it does leave a big dent.
“Things have been made harder by getting injuries during games. Against Barrow, Lewis Bienek got a whack to the throat and had to come off, Sam Winney broke his jaw and Jenson Binks was concussed.
“Things like that always seem to happen during tough spells. When you are on top of things, you seem to get fewer problems.
“We need to knuckle down and stick together. It’s in our hands and we will get better.”
