Toronto Wolfpack return home in style, stretch league win streak to 12 games

Because of renovations to Lamport, the official home opener came four months into the season. The Wolfpack’s only previous home game — a 62-14 win over Swinton Lions on May 5 — had to be played at Fletcher’s Fields north of the city because Lamport wasn’t ready.

An enthusiastic crowd, announced at 7,384, was on hand to greet the Wolfpack, who lived up to their motto “Defend the Den.” Toronto has yet to lose at home in its first two seasons.

Despite the string of wins in the second-tier Betfred Championship, Wolfpack coach Paul Rowley says the best is yet to come.

“I thought today was a victory for grit, determination, resilience and attitude,” he said. “But in terms of executions and smarts, then we’ve got quite a few more levels in us.

“I think there was quite a bit of nerves around the camp. Because we’re really proud of the record we’ve got here and we want to defend the den and keep it undefeated. We’re very very proud of it. Being the first game back as been such a long way, I felt it was a strange atmosphere in the buildup.

“So we’re just really glad to get it under our belt. We just want to kick on now. The next game can’t come soon enough.”

Saturday’s match was the first of eight straight at home to end the regular season.

The Broncos are the only team to beat Toronto in league play this season, thumping the visiting Wolfpack 47-16 on Feb. 25.

League-leading Toronto (14-1-1) has won 12 in a row since that setback. Its only other loss this season was a 66-10 beatdown at the hands of Super League side Warrington in the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup.

London (10-6-0) has lost three of its last five.

Cory Paterson scored two tries for Toronto with Liam Kay, Josh McCrone and Ryan Brierley adding singles. Brierley kicked four conversions and two penalties.

Malta international Jarrod Sammut and Elliott Kear scored tries for London. Sammut added two conversions.

Paterson, an Australian playing in his first game at Lamport, called the reception from the fans “a bit overwhelming … a bit humbling too.”

Toronto used some stiff defence to set up its attack and to grind down the visitors. A tired procession of Broncos came off the field as London went to its bench.

The Wolfpack led 12-0 after 13 minutes and kept applying pressure. The Broncos stuck to their defensive task and went into the half trailing 14-6.

Toronto broke it open early in the second half with tries by Paterson and McCrone, padding the lead to 26-6 before a 60th-minute Kear try reduced London’s deficit to 26-12. Brierley added a Toronto try in the final minute.

The entertainment value fizzled as the game wore on.

Broncos coach Danny Ward offered no excuses.

“We weren’t good enough today,” he said.

The win came at a cost to Toronto. Rowley said vice-captain Ashton Sims, who came off in the fifth minute, may have torn his calf in his Lamport debut.

Toronto was without the injured Jack Bussey, Darcy Lussick and Adam Higson. Hooker Bob Beswick was out through suspension.

London was missing starting wing Kieran Dixon, Wales international Ben Evans and Rob Butler, all suspended.

The game was the first on the new artificial turf surface at Lamport, installed by the city at a cost of $810,000.

Kay said the new surface was “head and shoulders better than last year.”

Ngawati has been on loan to the London Skolars in the third-tier League 1 but has been recalled.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Toronto Wolfpack return home in style, stretch league win streak to 12 games

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