London Broncos narrowly defeated by 12-man Salford in Super League match on 20 April 2024

In a thrilling Super League match on 20 April 2024, the winless London Broncos were narrowly defeated by 12-man Salford in a closely contested game.

The London Broncos started brightly, taking the lead after 19 minutes when Iliess Macani scored in the corner. However, Salford quickly responded with a try from Kallum Watkins to take the lead. Deon Cross extended Salford’s lead early in the second half before the Broncos’ Will Lovell was sin-binned.

Despite playing against 12 men for 25 minutes after King Vuniyayawa was sent off for Salford, the Broncos failed to capitalize on their numerical advantage. They were unable to score or threaten Salford during this period, ultimately missing a golden opportunity to secure their first win of the season.

Salford, who remain seventh in the league, almost extended their lead further, but a try from Tim Lafai was ruled out after a lengthy check.

Broncos director of rugby Mike Eccles expressed his disappointment, stating, “Credit to them, we could not generate ruck speed and we wanted to move the ball but we couldn’t do that. Yeah, massively (missed opportunity).”

On the other hand, Red Devils boss Paul Rowley praised his team’s defensive effort, saying, “We’re satisfied that we defended well for periods of the game. I thought our attitude to defence, which we needed an appetite to build the win on, I thought we had that. There was some positives.”

Despite the loss, both teams showed determination and fighting spirit on the field. The London Broncos will be looking to bounce back in their next match as they continue their quest for their first win of the season.