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| London embarrassed in Cup semi-final. |
I have waited a few weeks after the 70-0 mauling by Wigan Warriors in the Challenge Cup semi-final to write this one as to have a serious think about the London Broncos current situation. The Broncos are bottom of the Super League massing a mighty 8 points from 24 games. Despite having a few games to go I seriously doubt this points tally will improve.
With the announcement by the RFL that the Super League will revert to a 12 team tournament from 2015, the place of the Broncos in that new set-up is very much at risk. It is no surprise that many feel that the Broncos will be removed as they have a small fanbase and a poor quality side. The 'London experiment' , as they are often referred to , would seem to have failed to produce a top Super League side.
There are many problems with the current set-up of the London Broncos and many mistakes have been made in the past, notably calling themselves Harlequins like the Union team. Firstly, and the biggest problem is the idea of identity. London as a place for a team has no identity. The city is divided into different areas, as can be seen with the football. This idea of a team 'London' just does not work. Just look at the basketball, ice hockey and American Football sides they have created. All have failed. In the Rugby Union those with London in their name actually play outside London, e.g London Irish.
This is also not helped by the constant change of home. The Broncos have moved ground so many times that the fans they may have gained whilst playing at one venue with now have to travel miles to watch them. Personally the idea of Fulham RL as it was originally was the way forward. I understand that in the current sporting climate and the financial power of the Premier League, that gaining such a partnership is almost impossible. If they were able to return to Fulham and call themselves Fulham RL the issue of identity would improve. You could also gain some of the Football fans if it is sold the right way, a long-shot it may be , but you never know. 10,000 attended they original first game at Craven Cottage when they beat Wigan back in 1980.
The third problem is the change of tactic regarding players. In the past it was mainly northerners with some australians/New Zealanders and maybe a couple of Londoners. Recently they have this dream of a team winning the Super League being full of Londoners. This does not work. The Londoners coming through the system are not yet at the level needed to compete. In the last 20 years the only one who has come through and gone on to success is Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook. One player. Kieron Dixon is another currently talked highly of however we wait to see how he turns out. You look at some of the local club sides in Yorkshire and Lancashire they are producing at least one at every age group.
I understand that the game appeal and popularity is far greater in Yorkshire and Lancashire compared with London however considering the population of 8 million I still feel they are under performing. As a result the quality of the team and its ability to compete has deteriorated for years.
They constantly talk of the terrific youth set-up and the number of children playing the game now in the capital but they just are not coming through. At this moment the Broncos are unable to compete in the Super League. Tony Rea must look on in despair considering the players he had in the old Broncos team compared to this one.
This coming off-season is huge. They must go back to the old strategy of quality northerners with a few quality Australians/New Zealanders. They need people of experience who know the game. Far too many times this season they have looked totally lost as to what to do.
The target should be to try and bring through one/two Londoners into the main squad each year if they are good enough, as it is with some football clubs. It is the only way the Broncos can survive at present. If they do not change then next season will be like this one and they will for sure lose their Super League place.
My dream is the return of Fulham, but I know that this is as likely as Wayne Rooney signing for the Wigan Warriors. This along with the return to the policy regarding players is the only way I can see the Broncos having a long-term and successful future.
I want Rugby League to succeed in London and the UK as it is a great game. Unfortunately the stubbornness and inverted-snobbery of this northern idea of 'our game' and the M62 corridor has stopped it's progression. The failure of the Rugby League to spread to areas such as the Midlands and Cumbria just shows it lack of ambition. I want to see a successful World Cup and hope Wembley is packed for its matches however I doubt it will be.
I live in the South-East and am a big fan of Rugby League but look on in despair at the games failures in marketing and expansion. So many mistakes have been made over the years and despite leading the way in terms of innovation with the likes of video technology and most recently ref-cam the game has fallen behind. There are many reasons for this however fundamentally many have arisen from Red Hall and the RFL.
