GARY HETHERINGTON says that while he has no “magic wand”, he’s wholly invested in the project to rebuild London Broncos and turn them into a Super League force.
But the 70-year-old Yorkshireman, who created the original Sheffield Eagles and will end a 29-year stint as chief executive of Leeds Rhinos later this year, has warned a “fascinating journey” could take time.
Coach Mike Eccles, who along with chief executive Jason Loubser kept the club alive following the withdrawal of long-time owner David Hughes after last year’s loss of Super League status, is fighting to stave off the threat of relegation from the Championship to League One.
Meanwhile Hetherington, who has taken control of the 45-year-old club who were originally Fulham and now play at Wimbledon, is working to “galvanise interest and commitment”, some of it coming from Down Under.
“Australians generally know the benefits a successful London team could actually bring to our game,” he told a Broncos fans’ forum.
“So they are quite keen to assist. They don’t quite know where or when or how to do it.
“There has been a lot of speculation about the NRL in the media recently. It has all been a bit misguided because there have been no proposals from the NRL.
“They (the NRL) are a very cash-rich organisation. They now can see the benefit of an improved Super League and an improved Rugby League in Europe.”
Hetherington continued: “For quite a number of months, I’ve been speaking to people who’ve got a genuine interest in becoming a shareholder and owner of the Broncos.
“And what we actually need is people who’ve got something to offer, people who can invest in the club, but what we don’t need are sleeping partners.
“We want people who can invest in the club and make an ongoing contribution, and that can be in a variety of ways.
“It might be as a sponsor, it might be with a particular expertise, it might be their connectivity with the industry or potential sponsors.
“I’m hoping to create a really significant and substantial ownership group who can support the vision of the club.
“That needs to be supported by a whole range of commercial partners who can actually add value to the operation and the organisation.
“We will be very much engaged with the community. We will be given opportunities for boys, girls, women and men to be able to participate in the sport.
“This is not about just one individual. It’s about a collective. Everybody’s got a job to do, the players, the coaching staff, everybody within the organisation, and the supporters, who can become evangelists for the great game we have got.
“I’m pretty confident we’ve got quite a few ingredients in place. I think this is a fascinating journey, but it’s a journey that I don’t know how long it’s going to take.”
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