BY CHRISTIAN DUNNE (@dunnearunner)
Despite the Broncos’ worrying dip in form at the back end of the regular season, the London Faithful can still be very confident of advancing to the Play-Offs, and maybe beyond, in the Championship Shield.
This brand-new break-off competition’s format has undoubtedly given the likes of ourselves, Featherstone and Dewsbury a big advantage, but it’s an advantage that is also well deserved. As the points are carried over from the previous 23 league games, we immediately find ourselves in a very commanding position on 24 points, as do Featherstone, on 26, and Dewsbury on 25. Ten points already separate us from Batley and Whitehaven, who currently occupy the first two places outside the Play-Offs, so you could argue that the Broncos already have one foot in the Play-Offs which follow for the top four of the Championship Shield, which, mathematically, is arguably set in stone before proceedings have even started.
Home advantage is also on our side, with a very solid home record over the course of the regular season, not least bursting Leigh’s bubble, albeit momentarily. Not only have we been given four home games, they see us face Doncaster, Hunslet, Workington and Batley, all of whom we’ve beaten at home already this season, with Workington being the only of those four sides we didn’t beat home and away.
However, with experience being an invaluable component to any successful side, the Broncos have been dealt with some major injury blows to some of our most experienced players, particularly Daniel Harrison and Jamie Thackray in recent weeks, and their absence has contributed to our concerning recent form, where we have only won one of our last five league games. And the pair are likely to be out for the rest of the season. Hendo has put himself back in the squad in an attempt to plug this gap and his leadership will be key to how successful the Championship Shield is for the London Broncos. Wes Naiqama will be equally important, and he has become an extremely influential member of the team, and for me he is one of the standout players in the division. For example, Iliess Macani has improved significantly over the course of the season, and playing alongside a player of Wes’s quality and experience will have been a huge factor. Consistent performers such as Rhys Lovegrove, Ben Helliwell and Matt Garside also have an important role to play for the Broncos in the coming weeks. Our youngsters are just as key, particularly half-backs Oscar Thomas and Joe Keyes, as the kicking needs to be first-class throughout. Worth mentioning the work-ethic of the likes of Elliot Minchella and Matt Davis in the forwards too.
What separates the Broncos from many of the other sides in the Championship Shield is the teams’ superior fitness levels, a perk of being the only full-time team in the third break-off competition, which has had a noticeable effect throughout the regular season, helping us to pull away in the latter stages of games to settle tight affairs in our favour. A classic example would be our home game against Whitehaven back in early July.
Yet, despite the side being wounded by the injuries to Harrison and Thackray, I fully expect us to reach the Play-Offs in the Championship Shield. Crunch time is when we play at home, in games where we’ll be expected to win. Win those, starting with Doncaster on Saturday, and we’ll qualify comfortably. Our home record has been a real positive this season and I’d expect us to keep that going against the four teams who have to make the trip down to the Hive. Can we dream of the Final at Widnes? Of course, it’s a realistic possibility, however we mustn’t take a thing for granted even though we start in a very commanding position. Every Minute Matters.
Despite the Broncos’ worrying dip in form at the back end of the regular season, the London Faithful can still be very confident of advancing to the Play-Offs, and maybe beyond, in the Championship Shield.
This brand-new break-off competition’s format has undoubtedly given the likes of ourselves, Featherstone and Dewsbury a big advantage, but it’s an advantage that is also well deserved. As the points are carried over from the previous 23 league games, we immediately find ourselves in a very commanding position on 24 points, as do Featherstone, on 26, and Dewsbury on 25. Ten points already separate us from Batley and Whitehaven, who currently occupy the first two places outside the Play-Offs, so you could argue that the Broncos already have one foot in the Play-Offs which follow for the top four of the Championship Shield, which, mathematically, is arguably set in stone before proceedings have even started.
Home advantage is also on our side, with a very solid home record over the course of the regular season, not least bursting Leigh’s bubble, albeit momentarily. Not only have we been given four home games, they see us face Doncaster, Hunslet, Workington and Batley, all of whom we’ve beaten at home already this season, with Workington being the only of those four sides we didn’t beat home and away.
However, with experience being an invaluable component to any successful side, the Broncos have been dealt with some major injury blows to some of our most experienced players, particularly Daniel Harrison and Jamie Thackray in recent weeks, and their absence has contributed to our concerning recent form, where we have only won one of our last five league games. And the pair are likely to be out for the rest of the season. Hendo has put himself back in the squad in an attempt to plug this gap and his leadership will be key to how successful the Championship Shield is for the London Broncos. Wes Naiqama will be equally important, and he has become an extremely influential member of the team, and for me he is one of the standout players in the division. For example, Iliess Macani has improved significantly over the course of the season, and playing alongside a player of Wes’s quality and experience will have been a huge factor. Consistent performers such as Rhys Lovegrove, Ben Helliwell and Matt Garside also have an important role to play for the Broncos in the coming weeks. Our youngsters are just as key, particularly half-backs Oscar Thomas and Joe Keyes, as the kicking needs to be first-class throughout. Worth mentioning the work-ethic of the likes of Elliot Minchella and Matt Davis in the forwards too.
What separates the Broncos from many of the other sides in the Championship Shield is the teams’ superior fitness levels, a perk of being the only full-time team in the third break-off competition, which has had a noticeable effect throughout the regular season, helping us to pull away in the latter stages of games to settle tight affairs in our favour. A classic example would be our home game against Whitehaven back in early July.
Yet, despite the side being wounded by the injuries to Harrison and Thackray, I fully expect us to reach the Play-Offs in the Championship Shield. Crunch time is when we play at home, in games where we’ll be expected to win. Win those, starting with Doncaster on Saturday, and we’ll qualify comfortably. Our home record has been a real positive this season and I’d expect us to keep that going against the four teams who have to make the trip down to the Hive. Can we dream of the Final at Widnes? Of course, it’s a realistic possibility, however we mustn’t take a thing for granted even though we start in a very commanding position. Every Minute Matters.