Big chance for Broncos to keep up the pressure on the pace setters against struggling Swinton

The Broncos will look to make it four wins in a row against Stuart Littler’s winless Swinton Lions.

Danny Ward and his London Broncos survived an early scare from a Whitehaven side who showed more than maybe their league position would suggest.

Whitehaven were 12-0 up with just 10 minutes of the first half remaining. Fortunately for London, Chris Hankinson went over to haul the home team back into the game before halftime.

The second half saw a highly impressive display from the Broncos, running in seven tries and completely dominating the game. This was exactly what was expected of the team from the start.

As for Swinton, the picture is altogether a more grim one. A tenth defeat in ten, and just four points scored and another 34 conceded, meaning their total points conceded has amassed to 379 across the ten games. When you concede 38 points on average, it becomes very difficult to win Rugby League matches.

This means that for Swinton, the only way it seems they will win a game is by outscoring their opponents. Whilst their attack is okay for their realistic expectations, it’s not good enough to put 40+ points past a fellow championship team.

With a test against the (as of now) unbeaten Featherstone Rovers coming next week, it is imperative that the Broncos get the win and don’t slip up against one of the Championships basement clubs. Perhaps the surprise package of the Championship, Batley Bulldogs will play host to Halifax who are clinging on to that final playoff spot as things stand. As well as this, Bradford will host Halifax’s nearest rivals in Widnes, meaning this game poses an opportunity to either close in on those above them or pull clear of those below for London.

Swinton did keep Halifax quiet for almost a quarter of the game and will look to hold out for even longer here against a good London Broncos outfit. The longer Stuart Littler and the Lions can keep London at bay, the better chance they will feel they have of coming away with a result. They will, however, have to be far more clinical in attack as they rarely troubled Halifax, and were wasteful when they did so.

As for London, they will hope to avoid the early scare that Whitehaven gave them, and have control of the game from start to finish. It can be easy to subconsciously underestimate your opponents, especially when their form has been so poor, but Danny Ward will have drilled into the players how important it is to remain professional and get the job done.

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