Dons boss issues complacency warning ahead of clash with struggling London Broncos

Broncos have struggled on their return to the Betfred Championship after relegation from last season’s Super League following a mass exodus of players due to long-time backer David Hughes leaving the club.

However, Dons boss Richard Horne is not treating their challenge lightly.

“The Championship this season is one of those leagues where any team can beat anyone else and we know we have to get it right on the day no matter who we are playing if we want to be in with a chance of picking up the two points,” he told the Free Press.

“We have to get the preparation right and we also have to go into every game with the right attitude, not least in Sunday’s game because they are the type of games which can trip you up. As I have said before, no team has a God-given right to just turn up and expect to win. It’s all about performance on the day.

“They are one of those sides it has been hard to preview in the build-up because they have a lot of players coming in and out of the side, so we’ve focused mainly on ourselves this week and last in training.”

Despite posting a 30-6 win away to league leaders Halifax Panthers last time out, Horne is not the type to rest on his laurels and admits that his charges need to work on having a high completion rate at the same time as asking questions of the opposition defence.

Reflecting on the fact that three of the four tries scored in the win at The Shay were the result of individual brilliance rather that from planned moves, Horne said: “We’ve got some areas where we need to improve, including offensively, and we’ve been working on those in training.”

Horne hopes to have forwards Pauli Pauli and Jordan Baldwinson, who both missed the Halifax game, available for selection ahead of the penultimate home game – they entertain Bradford Bulls on Sunday week – before a run of away games during June and July whilst Club Doncaster ground staff carry out their annual pitch maintenance.

Horne allayed fears that Pauli had suffered reaction from his return to action following a knee operation against Oldham, saying that the former Super League star had suffered a minor knock to his other knee in training on the Friday before the game.