London Broncos’ new signing hails ‘intense pre-season’ as Championship start date closes in

Marcus Stock believes a positive pre-season will stand him and his teammates in good stead when London Broncos’ Betfred Championship campaign begins next month.

The Broncos host Batley Bulldogs at the Cherry Red Records Stadium in Wimbledon on Sunday, February 5, and preparations are being stepped up a notch with less than five weeks to go until kick-off.

Stock signed for the Broncos from York City Knights in October and admitted he could not be happier with his physical condition, having worked under newly appointed Director of Rugby and Performance Mike Eccles.

The 26-year-old will take to the field for the first time on January 20 when the Broncos play London Skolars in the annual Capital Challenge at The HAC – a game Stock is excited to get stuck into.

“Physically, I couldn’t be happier with where I am now,” said Stock. “The intensity of pre-season was – in a good way – a shock at the start and it did take me a couple of sessions to get up to speed.

“We’ve got a big month ahead of us and the next four weeks are about patching up the small elements of our game. The Capital Challenge is a great opportunity for everyone to put themselves forward for selection in a competitive environment.

“You can achieve a lot in training, but that fixture will be important for everyone and we’re all raring to go.”

Stock joined the Broncos off the back of three seasons with York City Knights, where he made 47 appearances and registered nine tries.

Born in Milton Keynes, the powerful prop forward has quickly settled back into life in the south and paid tribute to his teammates for making him and new members of the squad feel welcome.

“It helps when the squad is so welcoming – I feel like I’ve been here much longer than eight weeks,” said Stock. “We’ve had a couple of team-building events outside training, too, so the relationships off the pitch are really solid.

“I had heard a lot of stories about Mike’s pre-seasons in previous years and those stories have lived up to expectations. He’s a knowledgeable person and I’ve really enjoyed working with him.

“Now we’re all itching to go. There’s a reason why we put ourselves through pre-season during the long winter months – we all want to play our part in a successful season and I’m excited to represent the Broncos this year.”

Tickets for London Broncos’ opening Betfred Championship fixture at home to Batley Bulldogs on Sunday, February 5, are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking here. Kick-off is at 3pm.

Season Members will be contacted shortly with details on how to purchase their discounted ticket using a membership code.