Darren Lockyer revealed bold plans to bring a marquee NRL player to the London Broncos as captain, should the club’s bid to join Super League in 2026 be successful.
The former Kangaroos skipper, alongside long-time business partner Grant Wechsel, confirmed that ex-South Sydney coach Jason Demetriou is already lined up to take charge in the capital.
Lockyer believes the appointments of both a seasoned coach and a high-profile skipper could accelerate the Broncos’ rise.
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“It’ll be back page news”
“Realistically, if we’re in the Super League and can get cracking at building a roster, we’re already talking to people now,” Lockyer said on the Back Ten podcast.
“The coach is already committed, subject to being in Super League. Jason Demetriou has been our target. He’s got plenty of experience in England as a player and a coach. He got South Sydney Rabbitohs to a prelim before he had a difficult year.
“The other key part to this is getting our club captain, we’re looking at an experienced player from the NRL to come over. He might only play one or two years, but we’re looking for leadership, and if we get those two appointments right, we think we can build a roster out quickly.”
Wechsel added: “It’ll be back page news in the Telegraph in Sydney if we land the captain that we’re looking for. I think there’s also a lot of fairly current NRL talent that could fall in behind.”
Even if the Super League bid falls short, Lockyer and Wechsel remain committed to purchasing the Broncos, convinced that a strong London side is vital to rugby league’s international growth.