The Vikings suffered a 44-12 defeat to London Broncos in their opening fixture of the 2026 Championship season.
Allan Coleman’s side were unable to stem the tide in the second half as the Broncos ran in 28 unanswered points to claim a convincing Round One victory.
The hosts made a fast start, racing into a 12-0 lead inside the opening 20 minutes courtesy of tries from Dean Hawkins and Alex Max.
Widnes responded well towards the latter stages of the first half, reducing the deficit when Jordan Johnstone powered over from close range.
The Vikings then levelled the contest shortly after as Sam Wilde latched onto a short ball from Jordan Abdull, spinning out of a tackle to crash over.
A late hit on Nick Gregson handed Abdull the opportunity to slot over a penalty and draw Widnes level, but London delivered a sucker punch before the interval.
Hawkins broke the line and fed Robert Mathias, who crossed to send the Broncos into the break with a 16-12 advantage.
Widnes were forced into an early reshuffle after the restart when Matt Fleming was forced from the field through injury, and London took full advantage.
Jason Demetriou’s side showcased their quality with four tries in 15 minutes to put the game out of reach.
Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Lewis Bienek, and James Meadows all grabbed close-range scores around the ruck, and Elliot Wallis crossed for a try out wide.
Mike Butt went close to pulling a score back for the Vikings, but resolute London defence held him out.
The Broncos finished with a flourish, with Alex Max grabbing his second try six minutes from time to seal a 44-12 opening-day defeat for Widnes
Thatto Heath Crusaders are next up for the Vikings in the third round of the Challenge Cup. Tickets are available HERE.
TEAMS AND SCORERS
London Broncos: Morea, Tchambambe, Max, Mathias, Wallis, O’Beirne, Hawkins, Campbell-Gillard, Havili, Kapinias, Smith, Croft, Adebiyi
Interchanges: Bitungane, Meadows, Voro, Bienek, Hursey-Hord (18th)
Tries: Max x2, Hawkins, Mathias, Campbell-Gillard, Bienek, Meadows, Wallis
Goals: Croft x6
Widnes Vikings: Fleming, Butt, Owens, Edge, Ince, Lyons, Abdull, Murray, Johnstone, Chapelhow, Wilde, Roberts, Gregson
Interchanges: Bent, Fozard, McWhirter, Bibby, Connell (18th)
Tries: Johnstone, Wilde
Goals: Abdull x2
