Wigan Warriors have been given a classy NRL compliment by rival Super League coach

London head coach Mike Eccles paid a classy compliment to both Wigan and St Helens, labeling the pair as “NRL standard” after the Broncos’ defeat to the Warriors on Friday night.

Eccles’ side – who have won just one game so far this year since promotion – were hammered 36-0 at The Brick Community Stadium, with hosts Wigan scoring six unanswered tries, all converted.

Last weekend, they were hammered 52-6 at home by the Saints, with their only points coming with two minutes left on a Lee Kershaw layup.

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Wigan Warriors and St Helens compared to ‘NRL standard’ in classy compliment from London Broncos boss Mike Eccles

The Broncos have moved to a hybrid model on promotion, with certain players being signed full-time but some remaining on part-time deals.

Given their low score at IMG, they look set to be relegated at the end of this year, and that would likely have been the case regardless of how they performed on the pitch.

And despite his pride that his team’s efforts are unwavering, Eccles admitted it becomes like “David v Goliath” when they are subjected to Wigan or Saints.

The London boss said: “What’s really tough is those two teams are NRL teams in my eyes.

“St Helens beat St George (Illawarra Dragons) and Penrith (Panthers) last year. Not only did they win the World Club Challenge, they also beat St George in their warm-up game, so there they are.

“And Wigan are an NRL team and for me that’s the standard this year. They are probably the biggest club in rugby and we are an expansion club.

“It really is a David v Goliath situation and that’s probably to be expected, as much as we give the message that we don’t feel that way.

“When we were in Super League in 2019, I thought we were stronger then and we were already full-time, so the transition was easier and better.

“I feel like those top teams this time have pulled away more. They are phenomenal teams and phenomenal players. They’ve covered all the bases – big hard mids, speed, quality, depth, it’s phenomenal.

“The point I’m making is it’s hard to rate yourself against those teams, it’s a mismatch.

“But the effort out there was phenomenal today and that’s all I can ask for.”

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Scale of uphill task revealed by Broncos boss Eccles

On promotion, Eccles made his position clear – he would give opportunities to those who brought London back into Super League with very few casualties from last year’s promotion-winning squad, which was largely made up of players from the capital.

As noted above, however, some of them remain part-time, full-time rugby league unsuitable for a number of reasons, including the “day” jobs they hold.

One of those is Australian ace Jarred Bassett, who has climbed the UK rugby league pyramid since arriving, playing in the Southern Conference League, League 1, Championship and now Super League.

But the scale of the battle facing London was revealed by Eccles on Friday night as he highlighted Bassett’s plight and praised the 32-year-old.

Eccles said: “It was a crazy effort (from us), a phenomenal effort. I came here that day after a five-day shift.

“We had Jarred Bassett redoing an attic yesterday in London and he went out there tonight and I thought he was one of the best players on the court.

“It was phenomenal, I thought, tonight. His defensive efforts, his offensive efforts … to come here and play the world champions over a five-day period, the way it was, I’m proud of them.”

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