Henderson still believes in Broncos

The former Scotland international remains confident in the long-term future of the Broncos as they prepare to move home for the 10th time in their 35 years and, in the immediate future, has designs on some elusive silverware.

The club's failure to finish in the top four of the Kingstone Press Championship means they must play out the rest of the season in the Championship Shield as the bottom eight clubs battle it out to avoid relegation to League 1.

With the seventh-placed Londoners taking the 24 points accrued in their first 23 matches into the Super 8s, relegation will not be an issue and indeed they ought to be among the frontrunners to claim the inaugural Shield, a point not lost on Henderson, whose side open their campaign at home to bottom club Doncaster on Sunday.

"Everyone was disappointed not to get in the top four," Henderson said.

"There was a genuine expectancy that that should happen to a Super League club coming down but the reality is we've had that much disruption during the year, in terms of player turnover and staff turnover and other changes behind the scene as well which have contributed to where we are.

"But the bottom line is we haven't been good enough. We've lacked continuity, stability and consistency in our levels of performance. But we want to go into this campaign and finish on a real high.

"There's an opportunity for this club to win silverware and I know in the 35-year history it hasn't won many trophies. This group of players can still achieve something special this year.

"There will be players moving on and others coming in but this group of players can be remembered for winning some silverware and getting their name in the history books.

"We understand we're going to have to work harder than we've ever worked, we've got to raise our standards - both staff and players - but I believe the response of the players is going the right way."

The Broncos' performances improved noticeably under Henderson, who joined the club from Sheffield at the start of the season as assistant coach and stepped into the breach in March following the sudden resignation of Joey Grima.

The former Castleford, Gateshead and Barrow hooker admits he was thrown in at the deep end but he is confident he can turn around their fortunes when they move to Ealing in the close season - and insists Super League remains an attainable short-term target.

"If I had got my hands on it a bit earlier I may have been able to implement some changes but whether they would have been good enough to get us across the line, you'll never know," he said.

"The pleasing thing is that a number of the players have stuck with it. It has been hard as a group to build that tightness with all the chopping and changing but hopefully next year I'll get it right.

"I'll make sure I recruit a number of players that will improve the squad and, if we can have a really strong pre-season together, hopefully we won't have to rely on the dual reg or loan system next season.

"Obviously to get back into Super League is the ultimate g oal. That's where the club wants to be and we feel belong but you just can't expect it to happen because we've been in Super League.

"You've got to earn the right to be back there and we've quite a lot of work to do.

"Certainly it's a great learning curve for me personally, I'll be a better coach by the end of the season and I'm certainly excited by the challenge for next year and beyond because I do believe in the potential that London has and I do believe, if we can get the right right people within our club, we can take it forward and hopefully get back to the promised land."