London Broncos targeting 'magic' spot in Super League, says coach Mike Eccles
- Published
London Broncos finished fifth in the Championship after winning 16 of their 27 matches this season
Guiding London Broncos back to Super League would be an achievement to savour, says boss Mike Eccles.
The Broncos travel to Sheffield Eagles in a Championship play-offs eliminator on Sunday (15:00 BST).
"We are playing for something that is bigger than us - trying to put London back on the map and get back to Super League," Eccles told BBC Radio London.
"If we can be part of that journey it would be magic and something that the players would remember forever."
The Broncos last played in Super League in 2019 and would need to win three matches to return to the top flight after finishing fifth in the table.
Table-toppers Featherstone Rovers and Toulouse await in the play-off semi-finals, with their opponents dependent on the outcomes of the eliminators on Sunday.
If Bradford Bulls win their tie against York Knights (18:30 BST), the Bulls will face Toulouse and the London Broncos - should they be successful against Sheffield - will play Featherstone.
If York Knights win, the match-ups will be reversed.
London ended the regular campaign in good form, with a 26-18 victory at Sheffield on 3 September among six wins from their final seven matches.
That form played a part in director of rugby and performance Eccles being nominated for Championship coach of the year, but he is wary this weekend's trip to the Olympic Legacy Park will be a different challenge.
"They are three players better off than they were three weeks ago," Eccles said.
"Anthony Thackeray, who has been arguably the best scum-half in the Championship for a decade, Kris Welham, who is probably the stand-out centre in the competition, and Joel Farrell are back in the fold. They are quite influential.
"Sheffield are a really good team and have probably been the most entertaining team in the Championship this year.
"We are very similar in the way we play but we won't change anything in terms of our style of play. Hopefully it's enough to get us over the line."
Despite what is at stake in the long run, Eccles is eager the Broncos maintain the consistent level of performance the squad have shown in recent weeks.
"What is really important now is the less we can change now, the better," he said.
"You hear a lot of people talk about play-off rugby and how it differs, but in my experience it doesn't.
"You need to carry on doing what has worked for you all year. Nothing changes for me - I want to keep the players calm and focused on the job.
"I don't want to start changing the way we play or put a focus on different things just because we are in the play-offs."