Super League line-up for 2024 finalised as London Broncos stunningly seal top-flight return with Grand Final win

Ben Olawumi 15 Oct 2023 4:27 PM

Against all the odds, London Broncos have made a return to Super League and will complete the top-flight’s make-up for 2024 having won today’s Championship Grand Final against Toulouse Olympique.

Since their relegation in 2019, the capital outfit had never even made the play-offs in the second tier before this term. They came into 2023 on the back of an 11th-place finish, and even flirted with relegation this year, sitting 10th in the division when they faced Toulouse at the Summer Bash in May.

The Broncos won 10 of their last 12 games in the regular season to get themselves into the top six, and last weekend stunned promotion favourites Featherstone Rovers in their own backyard to set up today’s trip to the South of France for the Promotion Grand Final.

The Broncos won 36-26 at Post Office Road, and finished the job this afternoon at the the Stade Ernest Wallon with a mightily impressive 18-14 triumph to book their spot in Super League for 2024.

London Broncos seal Super League return with stunning win in South of France

Viaplay Sports broadcast the final, with presenter Ross Fiddes sent over to France while main host Emma Jones headed up the team back in the UK alongside pundits Kev Brown and Leon Pryce.

Having lost more than £24 million this year, the Nordic-based broadcaster will not be screening Championship games come 2024. They and their viewers were served up a treat to go out on a high, a close contest for the vast majority of the game.

Mathieu Jussaume and Wales international Josh Ralph – who played in all three of their games at last year’s World Cup – crossed for Toulouse tries early on, before former NRL star Dean Whare hit back for the visitors.

Jake Shorrocks kicked a penalty to extend the hosts’ lead to 14-4 at the break, but London came out re-born in the second half and hit back with a quick fire double of four-pointers from Alex Walker and Iliess Macani.

They couldn’t convert either, so sat two points behind at 14-12 on the hour-mark, but speedster Macani went over again to put them in front for the first time in the game soon after.

Corey Norman did convert that try, taking the scoreline and eventual result out to 18-14 in their favour against all the odds courtesy of some no-nonsense defending in the final 15 minutes. A seventh away win on the bounce takes London back amongst the elite.