The Super League were set to buy Bradford last year. I wonder if they'll do the same for London.

Would I be overly cynical to see this as an attempt to secure the Broncos' future in SL by the back door?
Step 1 - let as many players leave at the end of the 2013 season as possible;
Step 2 - enter Admin/plead poverty to gain dispensation to recruit overseas players beyond quota;
Step 3 - put a squad together that's strong enough to get enough points to overcome any deduction and avoid any relegation.

I genuinely hope that London survive and can at least be competitive next season, but whatever the outcome it should be on a fair playing field across SL.

I suppose it makes no difference if the club swing an exemption to relegation. Can't see myself supporting a club that wants to define its own rules as a solution to its incompetence.

As I said on another thread - We're not in admin, 9 working days away from it, so if we get sorted in that time then no deduction.... maybe?

Anyway, I'd take a 4 point deduction and playing matches in Croydon at the mo.

What would they be buying exactly?

Broncos have no home, few fans, few players and no assetts. The only thing they have of value is their SL licence (which the RFL gave them).

Looking back at past examples (Wakefield, Salford and Bradford) there are signs to suggest something positive will happen. I haven't seen anything yet from any former players regarding the running of the club as there was with the whole Crusaders debacle so thus far, I wouldn't like to compare the two situations.

In Wakefield's case, after a year of consolidating in 2011 (when they won 7 games), they finished in the play-offs in 2012 in 8th place and finished this year in 11th, a finish that most Broncos fans would snap your arm off for.

Salford have had a turbulent year and did finish bottom on a technicality but they have signed some very good players for 2014 and although it remains to be seen how well they do in 2014, they've signed players that London could only dream of.

If Bradford wouldn't have had points deducted in 2012, they'd have finished in the play-offs. Even in 2013, they've not had a bad year on half the salary cap and weren't far off the play-offs.

However, it will remain very hard to sign players to London even more so than past years because of the money issues but there is light at the end of the tunnel. It's just reaching the end of that tunnel that is the hard part at this moment at time.

There's also an argument that now isn't the worst time to go bust because of the fact that we're having a World Cup that is catching the imagination and with 70,000 due through Wembley's turnstiles, maybe there will be a Marwan Koukash watching that wants a route in.

I thought the same......although I don't think the "fans" were part of the Bradford proposal last year...nomatter how many of them there were



Have to say, it would appear that the RFL spent more time and effort in attracting a 7k crowd to Bristol than they have done in promoting RL in the nations capital over the last 18 years.....and I hold out little hope of them doing anything of substance to help London Broncos in its current guise.

The RFL have done quite a lot to assist. Some of the exemptions we asked for required the backing of the other SL clubs. There was a majority for the initial proposal, we then asked for more. At that point there was a majority of SL clubs against us. Not much the RFL can do about that.

The RFL were heavily involved in our provisional recruitment and helped broker a deal for the man who would have been our player coach had the AGM gone ahead and voted for us. What they haven't done, and probably can't do, is sink in the sort of money we now need.

What the RFL should have done is face the IL rebellion head on and deal with it straight away. As a result of their burying their heads in the sand during the RLWC (except when it comes to Bradford....we can't odsal empty) they have caused London to force their hand or risk losing investment.

The RFL have had pretty much FREE expansion in London for 18 years...it really is time they stepped up to the plate........because without a pro team in the region, RL development is as dead as a dodo!

Mr Hughes has pumped millions of pounds into the club over the years so to be slaughtering him now is absolutely ridiculous...what else do you reckon he should do ? drive round the streets of London dragging people out of their houses to go to the games.....The Mackay guy I agree is a complete clown but David Hughes you are having a laugh...would you continue to throw away millions as he has done for more than 10 years ? Get real

Julie Stott raises her head once more in The Daily Star! again she is so bitter against Rugby League in London, she seems to suffer amnesia about failure in Bradford.


[uEnd fiasco of London Broncos[/u

EIGHT years ago London Broncos avoided extinction with just hours to spare

By Julie Stott/Daily Star Published 22nd November 2013

HOMELESS: The London Broncos are currently without a home

They were saved only after the RFL persuaded enough rival Super League clubs to support them.

The fact that London got away unpunished for writing off £3m of debts left a bad taste in many people’s mouths.

The various companies which supplied the Broncos are probably still sick about not being able to get their money.

Fast forward to today – and several seasons of dire ­performances on the pitch – and London are in the same position, heavily in debt and prepared to go down the administration route once again to save their skins.

Barnet FC owner Tony Kleanthous is understood to be ready to buy a stake in the club – but only if it is debt-free..

SHAMBLES: London are in the same position they were eight years ago

“The fact that London got away unpunished for writing off £3m of debts left a bad taste in many people’s mouths”

I’m sure the debtors are dancing in the streets at the news that London may be allowed to escape their creditors again. And for what exactly? Even if they do survive, under a new debt-free company, they will be the league’s whipping boys next year.

Coach Tony Rea only has about half-a-dozen players left, after the rest jumped ship, appalled at what was happening at the club.

The Broncos do not have a home and, worryingly, with the season less than three months away, most of the backroom staff have been made redundant.

The situation couldn’t be a bigger mess.

Surely it’s time to admit they are failing Super League and say enough is enough.

If you read RLW, the RFL seem to have little to do with the marketing of the Bristol game, in fact, them making Joe Cacheside redundant almost scuppered the whole thing as the council were interested in "legacy".

Now the whole event was a huge success but that was largely down to Bristol Council being pro-active in promoting the game.