London Broncos head coach, Jason Demetriou, has given a recruitment update for 2026, and has confirmed there will be more players from overseas joining the club.
Demetriou, who is also the coach of the Papua New Guinea national team, has already brought in a number of Southern Hemisphere talents, including former World Cup winner Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Tongan international Siliva Havili.
More recently, the club announced that PNG duo Finley Glare and Morea Morea would be moving to England’s capital, as they begin to work under the former South Sydney boss at club level as well as international.
Speaking to a radio show in Australia, Demetriou stated that more PNG-based players would be joining the club, with him believing that there is a real hotbed of talent emerging from the country.
He said: “There’ll be more to [overseas players] come. We’ve signed some more, over the next week or so there will be more announcements.
“Our boys are more than up to it. For them, the opportunity to go abroad and experience a different way of living, different culture is only going to appeal to the NRL clubs.
Commenting on what the new recruits will bring, he added: “I think there’s misconception around Papua New Guinea boys, I say this all the time, you get one player who comes over who’s lazy, who doesn’t want to work hard and has a bad attitude in terms of his ability, or has a bit of an issue with the language, then unfortunately that casts a shadow over every player.
“The talent is there. For me it’s about showcasing PNG talent and their ability to play at a high level, so those boys that we’ve signed, I know will come over and showcase what PNG is all about.
London Broncos boss wants more PNG-based players in the NRL
With the emergence of PNG talent in the UK divisions, Demetriou believes that the game on both sides of the world will benefit.
Players such as Edwin Ipape and Rhyse Martin have thrived in Super League, and that has helped their nation on the international stage, becoming one of the nations quickly rising in the sport alongside Samoa and Tonga.
Being able to bring in more players, and to have them led by the national team’s coach on a daily basis will only further help them thrive, with Demetriou saying he knows how to get the best out of the PNG contingent in the squad.
“I think it definitely helps when you go to a club and you’re familiar with the coach and that’s probably part of the reason why you go to the club.
“I feel like I’ve got a good understanding and meaning of how they develop as players and their values as people and I think, once you know that, you’re able to connect with them pretty well and every player’s that we’ve spoke to and asked if we’re interested in coming, they can’t wait to get on the plane and that’s a good sign for London and it’s a good sign for the game over there.”
In the long-term, Demetriou hopes that more NRL squad with players from PNG. The inclusion of the PNG Chiefs in 2028 will help that hugely, however he wants more clubs to take chances on the talents that the nation are producing.
“There isn’t many, if any, that I can think of off the top of my head, that are Papua New Guinea born and bred players, since Justin Olam retired, that are playing in the NRL. I think that’s the tragedy really.
“There’s so much talent over there, but I think what the NRL bid is doing over there, and what the Hunters have done under Paul Aiton over the last few years, I can’t stress that enough, he’s been outstanding in developing these players that come really raw into his system.”
Former Leeds Rhinos and Wakefield Trinity hooker, Aiton, is the head coach of the PNG Hunters, who play in the Queensland Cup. They have finished in the finals spots in the past two seasons, and is currently the highest-level PNG based side in rugby league.
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