Hull KR’s victory had just pushed the Toronto Wolfpack into the Million Pound Game position and they knew that a home victory against London Broncos was critical. If  they could win by thirty-three points or more, then they could finish the weekend in second place. The Broncos were in town, themselves with an eye on the top three and knowing that a six point win would lift them above KR and their opponents today.

Both sides looked strong as they emerged into the Canadian sunshine at the Lamport Stadium. Honours were shared in 2018 with a win apiece and both sides came into todays game on the back of narrow losses a fortnight ago.

Richard Whiting left the field after just thirty seconds with a head injury and he was replaced by Adam Sidlow.

A Bob Beswick break allowed him to find Blake Wallace in support to run thirty metres unhindered to score under the sticks for the Toronto opener on four minutes. Gareth O’Brien added the simple conversion for a 6-0 lead.

Gareth O’Brien added the second try on eleven running twenty metres before spinning out of the tackle and grounding one-handed. He converted brilliantly from the touchline for 12-0.

On eighteen Chase Stanley made it to the line to ground under a pile of London tacklers. O’Brien was again accurate with the boot for 18-0 after nineteen minutes. On twenty-seven O’Brien added another two points with the boot when London conceeded a penalty thirty from their own line.

London had opportunity as the half wore on but they couldn’t get any points on the board.

There were just nineteen seconds on the second half clock when Josh McCrone collected a Jay Pitts offload to walk twenty metres over the try line to score. O’Brien added the conversion for the worst possible start for London, the game now slipping quickly from them.

Alex Walker lost the ball while stretching for the line to score London’s opener and a minute later Toronto went to the other end of the field and kept the ball alive for Mason Caton-Brown to grubber the ball into the London try zone and collect his own kick to ground. O’Brien added the conversion for a 32-0 lead.

Rhys Williams finally got Londons first points of the game on fifty-eight when he took a Jay Pitts pass to go over in the left corner. Sammut couldn’t kick the extras from wide. Alex Walker followed Williams over the whitewash two minutes later when he evaded three tackles to dive over. This time Sammut was able to add the conversion to get London into double figures.

On sixty-six Ben Evans crawled over the line from three metres out to score under the uprights giving Sammut a simple kick for 16-32 and some respectability for the Broncos.

Two minutes later and Matt Davis burrowed over the line from acting half back. It was a stunning four tries in eight minutes for the visitors. Sammut added the conversion for 22-32.

O’Brien stopped the rot with a sixty-ninth minute penalty. 

Richard Whiting and Jay Pitts were both yellow carded with four minutes remaining after squaring up to one another after a tackle and Toronto managed to defend their line to avoid the nail-biting finish that the Broncos wanted.

London Broncos and their coach Danny Ward must be wondering what might have been if they’d not been in awe of the Wolfpack in the first half. Their exploits after the break showed that Toronto can be fragile under pressure, and in scoring twenty-two points in nine minutes they stunned a home side who had been totally dominant.

Toronto managed to hang in until the final hooter to secure the two points that they wanted to lift themselves back into the top three. London now have it all to do and it looks like their passage to Super League may have to be through the million pound game.

Wolfpack: O’Brien (T, 7G), Caton-Brown (T), Stanley (T), Wheeler, Russell, McCrone (T), Wallace (T), Buchanan, Beswick, Lussick, Dixon, Whiting (SB on 76), Emmitt.  Subs: Sims, Ackers, Sidlow, Krasniqi.

Broncos: Walker (T), Dixon, Hellewell, Kear, Williams (T), Sammut (3G), Cunningham, Battye, Pelissier, Evans (T), Hindmarsh, Pitts (SB on 76), Davis (T).  Subs: Gee, Spencer, Ioane, Harrison.

Referee: Scott Mikalauskas.

Half-Time: 20-0.

Full-Time: 34-22.

Attendance: 7,557.