Broncos edge try fest
An incredible 16 tries were scored as the London Broncos edged past Hull KR 48-42 in their final Super League game of the season.
Last Updated: 08/09/12 3:36pm
An incredible 16 tries were scored at the Stoop as the London Broncos edged past Hull KR 48-42 in their final Super League game of the season.
With the play-off positions out of reach there was only ever pride was on offer and it was Tony Rea's side who secured the points to finish their campaign on a high.
For the second week running the Robins finished on the wrong end of a frantic scoreline having suffered a heart-breaking 42-36 loss to Wigan after previously leading by 26 points last weekend.
Michael Robertson and Kieran Dixon both scored twice for the Broncos while Constantine Mike helped himself to a brace for the visitors from East Yorkshire.
The hosts made the brighter start, Robertson giving London an early lead when he claimed Luke Dorn's kick to crash over.
And things got even better for the Broncos 10 minutes in, Omari Caro intercepting a Michael Dobson pass and showing an impressive burst of pace to surge the length of the field and touch down.
Battling to ensure they avoided finishing bottom of the pile, it was the men from the capital who were asking most of the questions, prompted by the ever-alert Craig Gower.
Further ahead
London should have stretched further ahead midway through the half, but Chad Randall was unable to wrestle the ball free having wriggled to the line.
Ben Galea, in his last game in Rovers colours, was trying hard to lift the visitors, but each time the Robins got deep into London territory a risky pass cost them dear.
And that profligacy came to the fore again after 24 minutes, David Howell blocking a Dobson grubber and engineering a counter-attack that saw Chris Bailey release Dixon to scorch home from inside his own half.
Rovers were offering precious little, and London stretched even further ahead when Bailey was first to ground a Gower grubber as it rolled beyond the posts.
The visitors finally got on the board seven minutes before the break, Micky Paea dumping Olsi Krasniqi on the ground as he rumbled to the line.
Suddenly Rovers had a spring in their step and they added a further try before the break, Richard Beaumont finishing off good work from Dobson.
Any thoughts of a drop in the scoring after the interval were quickly put to bed after 45 minutes, Dixon adding his second score in the corner after good hands from Mark Bryant and Daniel Sarginson.
Contest
The tries kept on coming, Dave Peterson the next to cross after good work from Craig Hall as Rovers once again hauled themselves back into the contest.
Each time the visitors sniffed a chance though the Londoners hit back, Robertson adding his second score after 55 minutes, with Dobson sin-binned for dissent in the aftermath of the incident.
To their credit the Robins did add a try when down to 12 men, Chris Heil burrowing over in the corner.
And things took another turn when Craig Sandercock's men struck again shortly afterwards, Mika shrugging off four tacklers to touch down.
The home fans thought they were able to breathe a sigh of relief when Krasniqi rumbled over after good work from Julien Rinaldi, but they still needed a late Dorn try after Rovers scores from Galea, Mika and Dobson in the closing moments.
Gower was on form with the boot for the home side with eight successful kicks, for Hull KR Dobson landed four kicks and Hall one.