TO say it’s all change at the Broncos would be an understatement.
After long-time owner David Hughes relinquished control, up stepped former Leeds CEO Gary Hetherington who by September had brought former Kangaroos captain Darren Lockyer and business partner mining magnate Grant Wechsel aboard, hinting at, among other things, big-name player recruitment from the NRL.
The first of those was Reagan Campbell-Gillard (see below) alongside the likes of Souths’ Tongan hooker Silivia Havili, Parramatta halfback Dean Hawkins plus Papua New Guinean internationals Morea Morea and Finley Glare.
Meanwhile, stalwarts such as long-serving captain Will Lovell, fullback Alex Walker and forward Sadiq Adebiyi have been retained.
They’ll all be under the care of new coach Jason Demetriou, fresh from leading PNG in the Pacific Championship, and no stranger to coaching in the UK, having previously been in charge at Keighley, while former coach Mike Eccles has moved upstairs as director of rugby.
Considering their all-new line-up, it will be a surprise if the Broncos are not challenging for the title come season’s end.
One to watch
Reagan Campbell-Gillard arrives with a stellar reputation, despite last year’s somewhat frustrating season at struggling Gold Coast Titans.
When the Broncos’ Super League bid proved unsuccessful, a number of star NRL signings rumoured to be heading to London fell off the radar. Not RCG – he committed to the new ownership wherever they were playing.
Expect the powerful former Australian, Fiji and NSW prop to lead from the front as the Broncos mount their title challenge.
Squad: 1 Morea Morea, 2 Elliott Wallis, 3 Robert Mathias, 4 Alex Max, 5 Liam Tindall, 6 Connor O’Beirne, 7 Dean Hawkins, 8 Reagan Campbell-Gillard, 9 Sam Davis, 10 Emarly Bitungane, 11 Luke Smith, 12 Jack Croft, 13 Siliva Havili, 14 Finley Glare, 15 Sadiq Adebiyi, 16 Epel Kapinias, 17 Marcus Stock, 18 James Meadows, 19 Ben Hursey-Hord, 20 Brandon Webster-Mansfield, 21 Will Lovell, 22 Alex Walker, 23 Gairo Voro, 24 Lewis Bienek, 25 Jeremiah Simbiken, 26 Neil Tchamambe, 27 Ted Davidson, 28 Bobby Hartley, 29 Jake Ramsden
Ins: Reagan Campbell-Gillard (Gold Coast), Siliva Havili (South Sydney), Dean Hawkins (Parramatta), Sam Davis (Salford), Jake Ramsden (Warrington), Bobby Hartley (Keighley), Finley Glare, Morea Morea (both PNG Hunters), Elliot Wallis (Huddersfield), Gairo Voro, Epel Kapinias (both PNG Hunters), Jack Croft (Wakefield), Robert Mathias (PNG Hunters), Emarly Bitungane (North Queensland), Luke Smith (Canterbury), Jeremiah Simbiken (Castleford), James Meadows (Bradford), Alex Max (PNG Hunters), Neil Tchamambe (Wakefield, loan)
Outs: Ethan Natoli (Pia), Chris Hellec (Limoux), Luke Polselli (Toulouse)