'Promises to be an exciting game' - Doncaster RLFC to face London Broncos in huge play-off clash

Doncaster RLFC will be looking to build on their outstanding 72-0 win over Barrow at the weekend when they take on favourites London Broncos in their Betfred Championship play-offs qualifying final tie on Sunday at the Cherry Red Records Stadium (3pm).

The newly-crowned Betfred Championship league leaders and 1895 Cup winners have lost just once at home this season – Super League outfit Bradford Bulls claiming a hard-earned Challenge Cup victory at the start of the campaign.

The draw means that the Dons could have to beat the full-time Broncos twice in the capital in order to lift the title.

“We knew we would probably have to play London at some stage and while we would have preferred to avoid them so early in the play-offs that was always out of our control,” said head coach Richard Horne, whose side were scheduled to visit second-placed Newcastle.

“All we can do is to focus on what we can do. We’ll prepare the best we can and we’ll go down there and give it our best shot and see what happens. We are playing with some zip and energy and it promises to be an exciting game. We’ve won our last nine games and we are in good form at the moment.”

Horne, whose side will remain in the play-offs for one more round at least even if they get beaten on Sunday as a result of finishing in the top-four, is hoping for a helping hand from the weather.

“London like to throw the ball about and play an off-loading game,” he said, “We can also play like that but on this occasion it would probably suit us to get them into a (forward) grind.”

Broncos know that victory in the play-offs could boost their efforts to win a place in next season’s Super League, though there is no automatic promotion this season with IMG gradings still in force.

They have won all three games played between the two sides this season – although they needed a late scoring burst to claim the spoils on their visit to South Yorkshire.

“We know they are a very good side with a lot of internationals but they were recently beaten by Oldham in the league and Widnes made them work hard for their win last week in the 1895 Cup final, so that gives us hope,” said Horne.

Half-back Connor Robinson is hoping to help put the boot into the Broncos.

Robinson set a new British record for consecutive number of successful goal kicks at the weekend and says he is hoping to extend it beyond 52.

“I’m hoping to keep rolling on and see how many more I can kick though I can’t see the record being broken. At least I hope not,” he said.

The scrum-half claimed he had not been nervous going into the Barrow game about missing out on breaking the record which stood at 41 goals. But added: “Once I had broken the record I was able to relax and kicked several from the touchline. Hopefully I can take my recent form into this weekend’s play-off tie against London.

“It won’t be easy but we are running into form at the right time and we’ve got a fairly healthy squad and I think we can go down there and get a result. We’ve had key players missing in the two previous games down there.”