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Jon Wilkin likens London Broncos to Melbourne Storm in fresh IMG rant

Jon Wilkin London Broncos Melbourne Storm

London Broncos landing the upset win over Hull FC at the weekend would have ordinarily ignited a relegation battle in Super League but with the Broncos’ fate seemingly settled due to IMG’s grading system, the win has simply highlighted flaws and that’s led to Jon Wilkin comparing the capital’s side to an NRL giant.

Hull FC travelled to Wimbledon to face Mike Eccles’ winless side with just one victory of their own, the Round Three home win against the Broncos. That game saw FC just edge past London with Morgan Smith’s last-minute winner saving the team’s blushes.

Both teams would go on to lose the following eight games but London have now snapped their losing streak and added to Hull’s with an impressive 34-18 win over the Black and Whites on Sunday. It was a game that has led to interim head coach Simon Grix question the “desire” of his players, a very worrying omen,

Fortunately for Hull FC, as a Grade A club, they’re guaranteed a place in Super League next season meaning that any potential relegation battle is null and void with London’s status as a Super League side on a countdown with their impending relegation inevitable. That system has been called out by Jon Wilkin as “embarrassing” and he’s now gone in again on IMG by comparing the capital’s club to NRL giants Melbourne Storm.

‘Broncos should have got time just as Storm did’, argues Jon Wilkin

BBC iPlayer's coverage of the Challenge Cup has seen a huge boost in viewers. Jon Wilkin

Credit: Imago images

Outside of Catalans Dragons over in Super League, expansion teams have fared far better down under and that is down to a lack of promotion and relegation with a team’s status as an NRL side guaranteed. Expansionism in the northern hemisphere has seen London be a yo-yo team, Toulouse’ stay in Super League lasted just one year and the Toronto Wolfpack venture, something that Jon Wilkin was involved in as a player, ultimately failed.

The only reason that Catalans have gone on to become a force and a real positive is down to the fact that the French side were granted exemption from relegation upon entering Super League. That effectively saved them and has meant that almost two decades down the line, they are one of the elite teams in the competition.

London will not be afforded that grace period meaning that they’re almost certain to go down given that they were handed a rank of 24th in the preliminary gradings confirmed by the RFL and IMG last year. That’s led Jon Wilkin to argue against the system and contrast it to expansion in Australia.

Speaking on The Rugby League Verdict, Wilkin said: “It just seems so sharp and pointy that you say ‘London are up and now they’re out’. I think London are incredibly valuable.

“I just look over to the NRL and I think of the Melbourne Storm and how much they’ve brought to their competition and how the NRL just went, ‘Look, we’re backing this because we believe in expansion and we want to expand, so Melbourne Storm will get time’.”

Melbourne did indeed get time and after joining the NRL in 1998, the first team from the state of Victoria to do so, they would win the 1999 Grand Final and have since gone on to win four more whilst landing a total of eight Minor Premierships, or League Leaders Shields to Super League fans.

The NRL afforded Melbourne time and resources in a bid to take the game outside of the heartlands of New South Wales and Queensland and they’ve reaped the rewards massively. Whilst the RFL do seem keen to take Rugby League beyond the heartlands, their failure to protect London would suggest otherwise.

Jon Wilkin summed it up best: “Under IMG and the grading system, which is so new and feels so alien to us all. This was always the elephant in the room, was the fact that London were coming up with the inevitability that they’re going back down.

“I’s fine when London are losing all the games on the field, but if London win a few more games now, and end up maybe second, third from bottom, it’s going to be a very embarrassing situation in the first year of the grading.”

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. John

    May 21, 2024 at 11:04 am

    So, we give London time to acclimatise to SL and what, relegate the next to bottom club? What a prawn. Stop looking at the league as it stands and try and apply the scenario to every circumstance. Of the potential clubs for finishing bottom, just be aware Broncos, with few injuries, played as good as they can to beat FC, whereas FC (and Cas to a lesser extent) have several first choice players unavailable due to injury. When they come back, and FC get their act together, they will finish we’ll clear of London.
    Before anyone accuses me of bias, I have supported HKR for 60 years.

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