OPPOSITION GUIDE | LONDON BRONCOS

AHEAD of Sunday's clash in the Capital, we take a look at our in-form opponents, London Broncos.

Formbook

-       London Broncos head into Sunday's game on a 4-match unbeaten run which has propelled them up the Betfred Championship ladder.

-       3 wins over Oldham RLFC, Newcastle Thunder and Batley Bulldogs - alongside a thrilling 20-20 draw - have improved Danny Ward's side position so far this term.

The Squad 

-       London Broncos were relegated from Super League in 2019 after a valiant effort in which they almost survived the drop.

-       Now in 2021, their squad has gone through many changes and currently, only three players have survived from the Super League season, they are Will Lovell, Dan Hindmarsh and Matty Fozard.

-       However, the capital club boast an impressive Championship squad, with the likes of Jarrod Sammut, who featured for the Bulls during 2013.

-       Another impressive addition was the signing of Abbas Miski, who has currently scored 8 tries in seven games for London.

-       Miski, a Lebanese international who was born in Australia, was a real high profile signing for the Broncos, and has showed his quality in the opening games.

The Coach

-       London Broncos are coached by the duo of Danny Ward and Jamie Langley, who is a club legend at Bradford, playing 256 games in a career spanning 11 years.

-       So far in 2021, he has seen his side record three victories and two losses, with the latest victory coming against high flying Batley Bulldogs. 

-       Ward took London into Super League in 2018, beating Toronto Wolfpack in the Million Pound Game, and has received plaudits from around the game on how he led his side throughout the season on a small budget. 

-       Danny Ward took over the head coach reigns in 2018 after spending two seasons as the London Broncos U19’s coach. 

Connections 

-       London boast two connections with Bradford, the most notable one is Jamie Langley, who is their current assistant coach. 

-       The legendary loose forward, who spent 11 years at the club and won two Super League Grand Final titles, will be looking to claim a second victory over the Bulls since becoming assistant coach. 

-       As stated above, they also completed the signing of halfback Jarrod Sammut, who featured for the Bulls in 2013. 

The Stadium 

-       London Broncos play their home games at Ealing Trailfinders, which has a capacity of 4,000. 

-       They are currently awaiting a groundshare with AFC Wimbledon to be homed at their new ground, Plough Lane, which was built and finished in 2020.

Previous affairs 

-       Bradford last faced London Broncos in 2020 before the season was curtailed, in a 14-18 loss at the Tetley’s Stadium, with Matty Dawson-Jones scoring twice, and Thomas Doyle scoring his first try in Bradford colours. 

-       The last victory against London Broncos came in 2016, with a 28-20 win at Odsal Stadium, the tries coming through Kurt Haggerty (2), Matty Blythe, James Clare and Ethan Ryan.