MARK BRYANT wants his first London Broncos try of the season sooner rather than later to escape having to streak at the end of season party.
The west Londoner’s Aussie prop revealed this week it is part of Broncos folklore that anyone failing to cross the whitewash during a Super League season has to endure the ritual humiliation of getting their kit off and doing a lap of the pitch.
The six foot forward, who is the best part of 17 stone, confessed it was a forfeit he had escaped once over in his native Oz, but having been cheerleader at others' expense in the past, he is clear there will be no escape this time.
He said: “I just need to get across that line once before the end of the season or it will be all the gear off and run around the field.
“Obviously it is not done where the media and their cameras or anyone else can see, but it is just part of the fun of the end of season party.
“There have been a couple of times when I’ve fallen foul of it, though I did successfully argue after the Manley Sea Eagles beat Melbourne Storm in the 2008 Grand Final I should be excused because we were champions.” But if you fail at London Broncos you will have to pay the penalty.”
At first glance, tomorrow’s home clash with Hull KR could be the ideal opportunity to get off the mark as last September’s game between the two sides was a try-fest Broncos won 48-42.
However, both sides were demob happy on that occasion, with the visitors planning for the play-offs and Broncos' season long since over.
With Bryant and co having achieved a first win of the campaign, 38-4 at Salford Reds last Friday, he suspects he will have more defensive thoughts than the need to avoid baring all at the forefront of his mind come kick-off time.
He added: “I don’t think we’ll see another try fest.
Hull KR’s Head Coach Craig Sandercock was with me at Manley and we sat in the bar afterwards having a beer and laughing at what was one of the worst games defensively we have seen.
“Any side can score tries, but it is the good ones who can bunk down and defend their line. We have worked tactically on keeping our focus and cutting out errors the last few weeks, so this will be a much lower scoring game.”
