Round 7 Recap

James Booth • 6 April 2024

Match report

Betfred Super League Round 7: Hull KR vs London Broncos Match Summary


Very much a game of two halves, London certainly felt the full force and cutthroat nature of a very in-form and talented Hull KR squad. Despite the final score line and the demolition job which KR performed on the Broncos in the first half, the second half showed London’s character as they managed to contain the score to 10-6 to the Robins, certainly one of the few positives which can be taken out of this game. A second positive which can be taken from this game is personal milestones for certain players within the team. Gideon Boafo, Jack Hughes & Dan Hoyes made their Super League debuts tonight & Iliess Macani touched down in the second half to get his 100th career try- congratulations to all for your fantastic achievements.


For the first 4 minutes of the first half, one wouldn’t be considered out of their mind for thinking that we may be witness to a closer game than originally predicted at Craven Park. London began, kicking left to right, and forced KR to kick back to the Broncos on their 5th attempt as the Broncos successfully defended the first Hull attack. Things then got even better for the Broncos in the second minute as Sam Luckley got yellow carded for a dangerous tackle on Marcus Stock and to then put the icing on the cake, Sam Davis touched the ball over the Hull try line for his first try of the 2024 Super League season and stunned the sold-out home crowd into near silence.


However, it can be argued that the moment which the try was scored, the fun stopped for London. Leyland begins by missing the conversion from the try and then making a huge mistake off kick off, gifting the home side a goal line dropout. Leyland then kicks short from the dropout and, despite Macani’s best attempts to try and salvage the ball for London, he comes up short and Matt Parcell runs the ball over the London try line uncontested for KR’s first try of the night, which was converted by Mikey Lewis in the sixth minute of the game.


From this point, aside from an excellent Jimmy Meadows break and ball recovery in the 10th minute for the Broncos, it all went sharply downhill for the away side.


From the impressive break and ball recovery, Meadows attempts to put a chip kick through for Storey & Boafo to chase on London’s 4th attempt about 15m outside of KR’s try-line which, unfortunately for him, goes straight into the hands of Mikey Lewis who runs the ball about 50m and perhaps out of  fatigue and/or ill-discipline, London gifts KR two repeat sets of six. However, on this occasion London got lucky, as Minchella knocks the ball on about 5m outside of London’s tryline but this whole pattern of play can be considered foreshadowing for what was to come before the half time whistle blew.


The try’s began raining in for KR in the 18th minute of the first half as James Batchelor scored his first try of the evening, followed by another try scored by Kelepi Tanginoa in the 23rd minute, both converted by Mikey Lewis.


Despite the Broncos’ attempts to change things up with a double interchange in the 25th minute (Parata & Kennedy off, Makin & Butler on) it didn’t appear to make any kind of real difference for the travelling side as Ryan Hall scored his try in the 28th minute followed by a try by Mikey Lewis in the 31st minute, Matt Parecel’s second try in the 33rd minute & Peter Hiku touching down in the 36th minute.


Much to the relief of the Broncos, the referee shortly blew the half time whistle after Hiku’s try, giving them the opportunity to get themselves together ahead of the second 40. The halftime score was Hull KR 40-London Broncos 4 due to the seven try’s scored by the Robin’s and six conversions slotted by Mikey Lewis who, all credit to him, had a seriously impressive first half.


As the player’s came out to begin the second half, there was certainly the nervous feeling in the back of the mind as a London supporter, anxiously hoping that they would be able to leave Craven Park was something to positively reflect upon, and there is definitely a case to be made that London can leave Hull with their heads held (half) high after their second half performance.


For the first ten minutes of the second half, two separate incorrect plays of the ball led to two Broncos scrums in good field position but, unfortunately, they could not convert their opportunities into points and they paid the price as in the 50th minute, Hiku made an excellent break through the middle and offloaded to Batchelor to run the ball in for his second try of the evening.


From this point, it appeared as though London’s worst fears of a second half blowout were going to come true as an incorrect play of the ball by Macani led to a dangerous KR attack which was held up over the line by the Broncos. However, in the 58th minute, London managed to turn things around as a loose ball was picked up by Leyland and gifted on a plate to Macani who used his lighting quick pace to get over the line and score his 100th career try and with the conversion by Leyland, the score was 44-10 with 20 minutes to play.


Between the 60th and 70th minute, the game was far more even. An incorrect play of the ball by Boafo in the 61st minute was cancelled out by an incorrect play of the ball by Sue in 67th, and London really were going toe to toe with the Robins. Unfortunately, however, despite London getting a penalty in the 67th minute for a KR offside, the home side managed to get their hands on the ball, leading to Matt Parcel getting his hattrick for the game and put the finishing touches on what was a very entertaining performance by the Hooker.


Despite London’s best efforts in the final 10 minutes, including a nice Alex Walker dink through KR’s defence which unfortunately went dead, they did not have enough time on their hands to find any points and Liam Rush blew the whistle for full time- Hull KR 50- London Broncos 10.


Referee: Liam Rush


Half time- Hull KR 40- London Broncos 4


Full time- Hull KR 50- London Broncos 10


Penalty count: 3-0


Hull KR

2) Niall Evalds, 23) Louis Senior, 1) Peter Hiku, 3) Tom Opacic, 5) Ryan Hall, 27) Tyrone May, 7) Mikey Lewis, 8) Sauaso Sue, 14) Matt Parcell, 15) Sam Luckley, 20) Kelepi Tanginoa, 12) James Batchelor, 13) Elliot Minchella.


Interchanges: 16) Jai Whitbread, 17) Matty Storton, 18) Ben Reynolds, 21) Corey Hall


Try’s: Matt Parcell (6) (33) (71), James Batchelor (18) (50), Kelepi Tanginoa (23), Ryan Hall (28), Mikey Lewis (31),


Conversions: Lewis 7/9


London Broncos

1) Alex Walker, 22) Gideon Boafo, 21) Robbie Storey, 4) Hakim Miloudi, 5) Iliess Macani, 20) Oli Leyland, 7) James Meadows, 19) Rhys Kennedy, 9) Sam Davis, 15) Marcus Stock, 11) Will Lovell, 29) Jacob Jones, 13) Dean Parata

Interchanges: 8) Rob Butler, 33) Harvey Makin, 28) Jack Hughes, 27) Dan Hoyes


Try’s: Sam Davis (3), Iliess Macani (58).


Conversions: Leyland 1/2


Photo Gallery




Match highlights

Hear from Mike Eccles:

by Jake Watson 28 April 2025
MATCH GALLERY: Halifax Panthers vs London Broncos Another tough afternoon on the road for Mike Eccles' side as they lost to Halifax Panthers at The Shay. You can now take a look at the best images from the day below. Credit: Simon Hall #WeAreLondon
by James Booth 27 April 2025
MATCH REPORT- HALIFAX PANTHERS 40-12 LONDON BRONCOS It was a difficult afternoon for the Broncos as they were comfortably defeated by a free flowing & confident Halifax Panthers side. Despite the increased effort in the second half, it wasn’t enough to be able to close the gap on the sizeable margin which Halifax had placed on London in the first half. The afternoon began with Alex Walker kicking to Halifax from left to right. Unfortunately, before fans had the chance to settle themselves in their seats, Halifax had already put points on the scoreboard. In the third minute, the Panthers had their first big break of the game through the middle of the field and the ball found itself in the hands of Charlie Graham who was able to score the first try of the afternoon and with Jouffret’s successful conversion, the score became Halifax 6-0 London Broncos. After a five minute period of back and forth play by both sides, which included a powerful Marcus Stock run into the Panthers’ half, the home side struck once more with another break. On this occasion, it was Jouffret who exploited a defensive hole on the left hand side of the pitch and with just the fullback to beat, he was able to pass to James Woodburn-Hall who scored his first try of the afternoon virtually uncontested. A second Jouffret conversion made the score Halifax 12-0 London Broncos after just eight minutes. The third try of the afternoon for the home side came from pure intensity and power. A number of explosive runs by the Panthers forwards through the London defence placed the Broncos in a vulnerable position and Adam O’Brien took advantage of his opportunity by scoring the try on the right hand side of the posts. With the straight forward positioning of the tee, Jouffret was able to add the extras relatively easily, and the score became Halifax 18-0 London Broncos- not a good position to be in just fifteen minutes into the game. Heading into the twentieth minute, the Broncos were the master of their own downfall once more as Tangata utilised his athleticism to not only break through a number of Broncos attempted tackles but then was able to take the ball down the field and pass to Woodburn-Hall who was able to score his second try of the afternoon. Halifax 24-0 London. From this point until the thirtieth minute, it would be a fair assessment to say that Halifax dominated. A confident home side, swiftly moving the ball from one side of the pitch to the other, were able to march the ball down the field. However, with a couple of miscues including an attempted pass which went out of bounds & a couple of dropped balls, allowed the Broncos to keep Halifax at bay. This was the case up until the thirtieth minute, where Calcott was able to find another space in the defence and tucked himself in to score. Halifax 30-0 London. HALF TIME: HALIFAX PANTHERS 30-0 LONDON BRONCOS With the second forty minutes beginning, it was clear to see that London wanted to put right their wrongs of the first half; the team attacked with purpose and with the objective of putting some points of their own on the scoreboard. However, it was clear to see that there was issues with the execution of the Broncos, and mistake after mistake allowed Halifax to overcome the early threat. The next big mistake for the Broncos came after Polselli failed to keep hold of the high kick on the fifth, gifting Halifax a scrum in dangerous position which Tangata then proceeded to take advantage of as he scored the team’s sixth try of the afternoon. Halifax 34-0 London. From here until the sixtieth minute, there was a real spring in the step of London who looked like a different team to who had played in the first half. If you were watching the game, you could make the argument that Bienek being reintroduced to the field was a big factor of this. His powerful line breaks and impressive offload ability marched the Broncos deep into the Halifax half, which was then taken advantage of by Polselli, who exploited a gap in the middle of the park to score London’s first points of the day. Halifax 34-6 London. Just three minutes later, the Broncos found themselves with even more points on the board as Bienek, once again, powered his way through the defence from the restart and offloaded to Adebiyi who was able to drive the ball into the Halifax half. Once the Broncos were on the fifth, the high kick was gathered by Polselli who was able to make the offload to Walker who could score under the posts. A second successful conversion for the visitors made the score Halifax 34-12 London. London seemed like a different side entirely after these two try’s and pushed hard to score a third. However, after multiple penalties against Halifax, Polselli dropped the ball just inches away from the try line and Halifax were able to restore balance to the game. This balance was taken advantage of by Halifax late in the game as Tangata made a massive break down the blindside of the field, shrugging off two Broncos tacklers before eventually being brought down by Alex Walker. Halifax then got the ball to the other side of the field effortlessly, where Charlie Graham was able to score a try and put the icing on the cake for the home side, cementing a solid & convincing victory. FULL TIME: HALIFAX PANTHERS 40-12 LONDON BRONCOS
by Jake Watson 26 April 2025
MATCH PREVIEW: Mike Eccles looks ahead to Halifax trip London Broncos Director of Rugby & Performance Mike Eccles has described the weekend trip to Halifax as the toughest test yet. Halifax are the league leaders after 7 rounds of the Championship season meanwhile the Broncos are still searching for that first away win of the season. Mike has also offered an update on the current injuries within the squad in this weeks match preview. #WeAreLondon
by Jake Watson 25 April 2025
HALF-PRICE ADULT TICKETS! London Broncos are offering half-price adult tickets for the upcoming home game against York Knights on May 3rd (5pm KO). To access this offer simply click the pop-up icon on the REEL below. #WeAreLondon
by Jake Watson 25 April 2025
SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Halifax Panthers vs London Broncos Mike Eccles has selected a 19-man squad for the Round 8 Championship tie at Halifax Panthers on Sunday. Louix Gorman remains with the group after joining from Hull KR last week meanwhile Emmanuel Waine who has rejoined on loan from Bradford Bulls also comes straight into the squad. Aaron Small also rejoins the squad after being unavailable last week. Dropping out this week is Jenson Binks (HIA) and Sam Winney (jaw). #WeAreLondon
by Jake Watson 25 April 2025
EMMANUEL WAINE JOINS ON LOAN London Broncos can confirm Emmanuel Waine has joined the club on a two week loan from Bradford Bulls. The 28-year-old is no stranger to these parts having played for the Broncos in 2023 and 2024 as part of the side that won promotion from the Championship. Waine departed for Bradford at the end of the 2024 season but now rejoins Mike Eccles side on loan and is available for the upcoming games against Halifax Panthers and York Knights. #WeAreLondon
by Jake Watson 24 April 2025
LUKE POLSELLI MATCH PREVIEW London Broncos take on the league leaders Halifax on Sunday looking to win at The Shay for the first time since 2016. Luke Polselli is set to play once again as he looks to build on his own good form since joining the club in the off-season. The Italian international has been playing in the halves this season showing his versatility and even moved into full-back against Barrow. To watch the full pre-match preview click the link below.
by Jake Watson 24 April 2025
MATCH PREVIEW: Halifax Panthers vs London Broncos London Broncos will be looking to upset the odds on Sunday when they make the trip to the league leaders Halifax Panthers in round 8 of the Championship season. Kyle Eastmond’s side have been somewhat of a surprise package so far this season winning 6 of their opening 7 games to lead at this early stage. The Broncos meanwhile, have had an indifferent start with Mike Eccles operating with one of the smallest squads in the division. Last week Broncos came out on the wrong side of the battle at Barrow, another side who are fighting at the top end so far. It was a game that came at an extra cost as Jenson Binks and Sam Winney picked up injuries that will rule them out for this weekend at the very least.
by Jake Watson 24 April 2025
MATCH SPONSOR: Resilient Roofing to sponsor York game London Broncos are delighted to announce Resilient Roofing will be our match sponsors for the upcoming home game with York Knights at The Cherry Red Records Stadium. To find out more about Resilient Roofing - CLICK THIS LINK! Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy your afternoon with us! We would also like to take this opportunity to remind supporters of the exclusive offer from Resilient Roofing. As one of the club’s Sponsor, Resilient Roofing & Property Maintenance Ltd have kindly offered exclusive discount for all 2025 London Broncos membership and season ticket holders on *any roofing work: - 10% off for 40/20 Membership Holders - 20% off for Season Ticket Holders *Orders must match the name associated with membership or season ticket If you are interested in sponsoring a game with us follow the button below. #WeAreLondon
by Jake Watson 24 April 2025
Dave Williams in the ‘Legends Lounge’ London Broncos are delighted to welcome Dave Williams into the ‘Legends Lounge’ for our upcoming home game against York Knights on Saturday, May 3rd. The former prop is a London Rugby League legend after progressing through the then Harlequins RL academy into the first team before playing for both London Skolars and London Broncos.
More posts