MATCH REPORT: London Broncos 6-36 York Knights
Jake Watson • 4 May 2025
LONDON BRONCOS V YORK CITY KNIGHTS (by David Ballheimer)
London Broncos (6) 6, York City Knights (10) 36
London Broncos conceded four tries in 18 early second-half minutes which allowed York RL Knights to run away with the game at a cold and blowy Cherry Red Records stadium. The dismal chill that developed through the early evening was rather indicative of the London performance.
It all seemed very different in bright warm sunshine during the opening exchanges, and it was the Broncos who scored first, in the eighth minute. The possession went almost 100 metres starting with an excellent kick return by Chris Hellec. A penalty late in the possession essentially gave a repeat set, starting five metres from the York line and, a few tackles later, the ball was fed to the left wing, where Liam Tindall was able to squeeze over in the corner. Hellec’s conversion from the touchline was superb.
York’s first try, eight minutes later, came on a last-tackle kick which bounced between Hellec and Luke Polselli. The pair’s momentary hesitation was all it needed for Scott Galeano to steal the ball from between them and scoot to the line. Liam Harris could not improve the score.
The two teams rather cancelled each out over the next 20 minutes, but London twice made clean breaks. Unfortunately for the Broncos, on both occasions the ball-carrier was too quick for the supporting players and there was no one available to receive a pass to complete the move.
And it proved costly because just before half time. York fans will say it was a superb piece of play from the Knights; those from the Broncos would question the defending. Harris kicked towards the left corner, inside the London 10, and it was caught by Joe Law, surrounded by three Broncos.
Law somehow got the pass away and, after a moment’s hesitation, the ball was rapidly fed from left to right. The defensive line was broken and as the wide players came in to fill the gaps, Harris fired a long pass to the right wing, which allowed former Bronco Ben Jones-Bishop to touch down almost unchallenged. Harris made an excellent kick to stretch the Knights lead to 10–6.
The second half could hardly have started worse for the Broncos. First Jordan Thompson, at first receiver on the sixth tackle, dummied a pass to the left, switched direction and ran through a hole to touch down close to the left post and Harris kicked the conversion.
The restart went out on the full, so York were given a penalty on half-way and they marched downfield and completed the possession with Sam Cook burrowing under a couple of tacklers to score. Although they conceded a penalty, giving York more than six tackles, the Broncos’ defence was much better, and they did get the ball back. They, unfortunately, made a mess at the end of the possession and the Knights were able to move away from the danger.
Three York players stood out in the second half, Harris, Thompson and Paul McShane and it was the last two of these who started the move that led to Jones-Bishop completing his double, after 56 minutes, the last pass coming from Kieran Buchanan, who might have been able to touch down himself. Even with the gusty wind at his back, Harris’s conversion sailed wide.
The misery continued for the Broncos seven minutes later, Oli Field crashing over between three tacklers and the referee was happy the ball had been grounded. Harris did not make this kick. And it could have been much worse for the Broncos as York broke through the line three times, but they blew great scoring chances with a couple of errant passes and a misplaced kick.
Thompson and Harris had joined Ata Hingano on the bench for the final few minutes, but McShane was still out there, running and probing from hooker and he was involved in the move in the 77th minute which saw full-back Joe Brown score in the left corner. McShane, no stranger to kicking duties from his decade with the Castleford Tigers, kicked the conversion.
London Broncos: 6, Luke Polselli, 2 Chris Hellec, 20 Aaron Small, 14 Louix Gorman, 5 Liam Tindall, 1 Alex Walker, 27 Lennie Ellis. 12 Sadiq Adebiyi, 9 Curtis Davies, 16 Kian McDermott, 11 Will Lovell, 19 Lukas Mason, 13 Marcus Stock. Replacements: 8 Huw Worthington, 22 Matt Ross, 28 Jenson Binks, 33 Emmanuel Waine. 18th man: 18 Ben Hursey-Hord.
Tries: Tindall (7)
Goals: Hellec 1/1
Sin-bin: none
York Knights: 2 Joe Brown, 34 Ben Jones-Bishop, 3 Kieran Buchanan, 4 Joe Law, 35 Scott Galeano, 6 Ata Hingano, 7 Liam Harris, 8 Jack Martin, 9 Paul McShane, 24 Harvey Reynolds, 11 Jesse Dee, 12 Connor Bailey, 13 Jordan Thompson. Replacements: 19 Sam Cook, 20 Oli Field, 21 Connor Fitzsimmons, 31 Kieran Hudson. 18th man: 14 Taylor Pemberton.
Tries: Galeano (16), Jones-Bishop (37, 56), Thompson (45), Cook (48), Field (63), Brown (77)
Goals: Harris 3/6; McShane 1/1
Sin-bin: none
Mike Eccles appointed Director of Rugby to lead London Broncos’ football strategy The London Broncos are proud to announce that Mike Eccles has been appointed as Director of Rugby, formalising his leadership role as the Club continues to build towards a potential Super League return in 2026. Eccles is a familiar name to Broncos fans, having originally served as Head of High Performance before stepping into the Head Coach role in 2022, where he guided the team through one of its most remarkable chapters - promotion back to the Super League. His vision, resilience, and leadership during that period cemented his status as one of the most respected figures in the Club’s modern history. In this new position, Eccles will oversee all football operations, player performance, and development pathways, ensuring that the Broncos maintain the highest possible standards both on and off the field. His appointment reflects the Club’s ambition to professionalise its structures, creating a system that nurtures players, fosters excellence, and delivers a sustainable competitive edge. “This role gives me the chance to ensure the Broncos’ football programme is as strong and forward-thinking as possible,” Eccles said. “London deserves a rugby league club that can compete at the top level, and everything we’re putting in place is designed to make that a reality.” For the sport more broadly, Eccles’ elevation underscores the Broncos’ determination to be not just participants, but genuine competitors, capable of reigniting rugby league in the nation’s capital and inspiring the next wave of talent from London and the South. #WeAreLondon
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Will play Featherstone Rovers in London on 28 Sep for a place in Super League!
POST-MATCH REACTION: Broncos sign off 2025 with win London Broncos rounded up the season with an impressive win away at Widnes Vikings. Both Mike Eccles and Will Lovell have been fantastic club servants but will have different roles at the club next season under the proposed new ownership. We spoke to both following yesterday conclusion to the year. #WeAreLondon
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