MATCH REPORT: London Broncos 18-38 Doncaster RLFC
Jake Watson • 12 July 2025
LONDON BRONCOS V DONCASTER RL (by David Ballheimer)
London Broncos (12) 18, Doncaster RL (12) 38
London Broncos put in a head-scratchingly poor display losing to Doncaster at a sun-drenched Kuflink Stadium. Having got level on the stroke of half-time, Donny won the second period 26–6. It was shocking from the Londoners after so much positivity in recent games. The feature of the game was the Broncos’ ball-handling, which below the expected standards, and it gifted Doncaster far too many scoring opportunities.
It started from the kick-off, the ball being knocked-on as it arrived near the goal-line. This offence was compounded by the ball being picked up by a player in an offside position. Doncaster elected to run the ball instead of kicking at goal but the defence held firm, forcing the ball-carrier into touch on the last tackle.
In the 11th minute, the Broncos took the lead with a short-range try from Marcus Stock, the back-rower crashing over from a last-tackle pass by Curtis Davies after Connor O’Beirne had been tackled two metres short. Jack Smith turned four points into six from in front of the posts.
When Doncaster conceded two penalties inside their own 10, London elected to run, hut the ball was knocked-on in the first tackle. When Doncaster kicked on their last tackle, London knocked on again, this time on their 40, and on the fourth tackle another repeat set, Connor Robinson grubbered into space and Wilson Boas was able to take the loose ball into the in-goal area and Robinson tied the game with his conversion.
Donny continued to apply pressure, and they got a repeat set when Liam Tindall defused a Boas bomb but was forced into touch 10 metres from his own line, not that he could have done much about it. Another Robinson grubber was knocked-on, but the Broncos gifted possession back inside their own half. This time, they were made to pay as Sam Smeaton went over from 10 metres out, close enough for Robinson to easily add the extras.
Ball-handling continued to be a London concern and another scoring opportunity was wasted by an over-ambitious pass which was snaffled by an alert Doncaster defender. However, with the last play of the half, London were awarded a penalty for a ball-steal just short of the line and the Doncaster defence dozed as Stock burst through two tacklers, wasn’t held and crawled over the line next to the posts. Smith tied things up at the break.
Both teams started the second half by kicking the ball too deep and giving their opponents a seven-tackle set from their 20. Donny, it must be said, made better ground until Pauli Pauli’s pass out of a tackle was knocked on.
When London were given a penalty for a dangerous boot from Boas, they elected to run, but lost the ball early in the tackle count. Doncaster then were awarded two quick penalties and Robinson made the Broncos pay with a penalty goal that gave them a lead they would never lose.
Doncaster continued to probe, and they earned a repeat set for an offside at the ruck in the 58th minute. On the last tackle, Robinson passed inside to Edene Gebbie, who sprinted over the line close to the posts. Robinson made it an eight-point game. When the Broncos next had the ball, an errant pass bounced off Gorman, who had had little chance of catching the ball, and Boas ran 20 metres unchallenged before swallow-diving behind the uprights.
A break by Luke Polselli seemed certain to give London a score and a scintialla of hope, but his pass could not be gathered and the chance went begging. The arrears were reduced with 10 minutes to go when Lewis Bienik blasted through two tacklers to finally get second-half points for the Broncos. However, from the restart, another handling error gave Donacaster a scrum from which Gebbie sprinted over from 30 metres with barely a hand laid on him.
To round off a miserable afternoon, Gorman had a great chance to score in the left corner but he lost the ball in a two-man tackle a metre from the line. With the last play of the game, Craig Hall kicked behind the London defence and Gebbie completed his hat-trick. Robinson’s seventh goal completed the scoring.
London Broncos: 6, Luke Polselli 33 Jack Smith, 4 Brandon Webster-Mansfield, 31 Louix Gorman, 5 Liam Tindall, 1 Alex Walker, 7 Connor O’Beirne, 12 Sadiq Adebiyi, 9 Curtis Davies, 10 Lewis Bienek, 11 Will Lovell, 3 Ethan Natoli, 13 Marcus Stock. Replacements: 8 Huw Worthington, 18 Ben Hursey-Hord, 27 Taylor Kerr, 16 Kian McDermott. 18th man: 20 Aaron Small.
Tries: Stock 11, 40, Bienik 70
Goals: Smith 3/3
Sin-bin: none
Doncaster RL: 1 Craig Hall, 5 Luke Briscoe, 4 Reece Lyne, 3 Brad Hey, 18 Edene Gebbie, 24 Watson Boas, 7 Connor Robinson, 15 Jordan Baldwinson, 20 Isaac Misky, 10 Suaia Matagi, 14 Jacob Jones, 11 Sam Smeaton, 21 Tyla Hepi. Replacements: 9 Greg Burns, 16 Pauli Pauli, 28 Cobie Wainhouse, 29 Matthew Laidlaw. 18th man: 6 Ben Johnston.
Tries: Boas 23, 61, Smeaton 30, Gebbie 58, 72, 80
Goals: Robinson 7/7
Sin-bin: None
Referee: Tara Jones
HT: 12–12
Penalty awarded count: 6–7
Attendance: TBA
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