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
POST-MATCH: Mike Eccles following Doncaster defeat It wasn't to be the Broncos day as a number of errors gifted a dangerous Doncaster side too many opportunities. It ended Broncos 18-38 Doncaster as this years final trip to Ebbsfleet ends on a disappointing note. Watch the full post-match interview with Mike Eccles below. #WeAreLondon
TEAM NEWS: London Broncos vs Doncaster RLFC Here is your starting line-up for this afternoon’s round 17 Championship clash with Doncaster RLFC at Ebbsfleet’s Kuflink Stadium. There is just one change from the win over Halifax Panthers last week as Louix Gorman replaces Aaron Small at centre. Huw Worthington is named as an interchange after missing last week to get married and then Taylor Kerr and Kian McDermott, both on dual-registration’s from Wigan Warriors, are also named as interchanges this week. #WeAreLondon
MATCHDAY GUIDE
MATCH PREVIEW: London Broncos vs Doncaster RLFC London Broncos are back in action on Saturday as we play the second of two games in 2025 at Ebbsfleet's Kuflink Stadium. The Broncos delivered one of the standout results of last weekend beating Halifax Panthers 20-14 to secure back-to-back wins for the first time this season. Mike Eccles has an impressive record as a coach in Ebbsfleet and will once again be looking to the list of wins when Doncaster are the visitors on Saturday, 12th (5pm KO). SQUAD INFO Mike Eccles has named his 21-man squad for this weekend’s round 17 Championship tie with Doncaster RLFC at Ebbsfleet’s Kuflink Stadium (5pm KO). In what is a very strong looking squad Huw Worthington returns after getting married last week. Meanwhile, Louix Gorman, Taylor Kerr and Kian McDermott join Jack Smith as dual-reg players available for selection on Saturday.
WATCH US LIVE! London Broncos vs Doncaster RLFC Can’t join us in Ebbsfleet this Saturday? We’ve got you covered! Watch the game from the comfort of your own home from the link below Scroll down to watch back the win over Halifax at Ebbsfleet... #WeAreLondon
SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: London Broncos vs Doncaster RLFC Mike Eccles has named his 21-man squad for this weekend’s round 17 Championship tie with Doncaster RLFC at Ebbsfleet’s Kuflink Stadium (5pm KO). In what is a very strong looking squad Huw Worthington returns after getting married last week. Meanwhile, Louix Gorman, Taylor Kerr and Kian McDermott join Jack Smith as dual-reg players available for selection on Saturday.
Twelve teams from six different clubs will compete in the Semi-Finals this weekend
IT'S GAMEWEEK London Broncos are back in action on Saturday as we play the second of two games in 2025 at Ebbsfleet's Kuflink Stadium. The Broncos delivered one of the standout results of the weekend beating Halifax Panthers 20-14 to secure back-to-back wins for the first time this season. Mike Eccles has an impressive record as a coach in Ebbsfleet and will once again be looking to the list of wins when Doncaster are the visitors on Saturday, 12th (5pm KO). Tickets for the game can be bought from the link below!
POST-MATCH: MIKE ECCLES FOLLOWING HALIFAX WIN You can now watch the full post-match interview with Mike Eccles following the 20-14 win over Halifax Panthers at Ebbsfleet. We return to Ebbsfleet next weekend (Saturday, 12th) tickets can be bought from the link below. #WeAreLondon
LONDON BRONCOS V HALIFAX PANTHERS (by David Ballheimer) London Broncos (12) 20, Halifax Panthers (6) 14 London Broncos produced an excellent all-round performance to defeat Halifax Panthers and move outside of the bottom two. Backing up last week’s rout of Hunslet, this victory was built on outstanding defence. That said, apart from 15 minutes in the first half and a short while at the beginning of the second, they were the better team on both sides of the ball. The Panthers started very well, aided by a penalty close to the London line. Hooker Adam O’Brien, going from dummy half, sensed a lack of certainty in the Broncos’ defensive line and burst through a large gap and scored the opening try, improved by Jack Hansen. Another repeat set gave Halifax another chance to get over the line but this time, the London defensive line was ready for dummy-half runs and both O’Brien and the much larger Adam Tangata were repelled. In the 11th minute, Connor O’Beirne launched a bomb that came down close to the Halifax line. A Broncos leaper pushed the ball backwards to Alex Walker, who put in a grubber which Luke Polselli almost reached but failed to ground the ball. From the seven-tackle set, Fax went a long way downfield, benefitting from a penalty, too, but the goalline defence was good enough to repel another O’Brien snipe. Halifax, it must be said, were far less of a threat when Tom Inman replaced O’Brien in the No.9 role. Brandon Webster-Mansfield thought he had scored his first try in a London shirt after 18 minutes, but his interception, which did hit the ground, was ruled a knock-on. Webster-Mansfield, however, and team-mates close to the incident, were convinced that the ball had bounced off the centre’s forehead not his hands or arms. The referee and his assistants were not convinced.
