RL team left with just 12 senior players for match as takeover talks rumble on
MIKE Eccles is adamant London Broncos will get new investment after being left with just 12 senior players.
David Hughes’ decision to end his backing left the Wimbledon-based outfit, relegated from Super League last year, facing extinction.
But boss Eccles believes money will come as Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington brokers a deal – raising the possibility of more than one locally-based group coming on board.
For the time being, though, he has to fill his squad for tomorrow’s Challenge Cup tie with new boys Goole Vikings with trialists.
Eccles said: “The game probably doesn’t realise how close it was to losing us but we’ll get investment.
“There are a couple of options on the table and one group, who’s from London, has put together a very, very appealing package.
“Myself and chief executive Jason Loubser set a vision of, ‘This is what we want, can you support this?’ 12 weeks ago, we’d have taken anything to survive.
“And we feel we can get back to Super League quickly with the right investment supporting the right vision. It won’t be sorted by the start of the Championship season but the vision is to get a series of people coming in.
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“We’ve big ambitions. Right now it’s about getting more players, paying salaries and staying in the Championship but we want to get forward quickly.”
Eccles’ Broncos will face League One newcomers Goole – but the aim is for many players to be a development side below the first team.
Currently, though, it is a case of needs must.
He added: “We’ve got 12 players now and 14 train and trialists we need to get ready to play games. Five or six will be in the 17 tomorrow.
“These are lads we identified from the area who were playing in the Southern Conference League or had previously played in League One.
“An open trial was predominantly players from the London League or who’d played in the SCL. Certain ones are being taught things for the first time, that’s the reality of where we’re at.
“We need players, so get them from where we live, in our area. We’re in trouble but we’ll stick to our roots.
“Tomorrow is a really proud day for us as we’ve paid two months’ worth of salaries without David, we’ve assembled a team, we’re putting a competitive fixture on.
“The reality is we’re fighting for our lives and fighting for a club but I’m absolutely confident it’s one we’ll win. I wouldn’t be here if not.”