St Helens head coach Paul Wellens has said that he wants to see London Broncos back competing at the top level, as he discussed the new takeover of the club which is being spearheaded by Leeds Rhinos CEO Gary Hetherington.
Hetherington will leave the Rhinos at the end of 2025 to commit to working with the London club to carry out a five-year plan that will hopefully see the Broncos become a self-sustaining and stable Super League side.
A meeting at Australia House in London was held to discuss the strategy and execution of the project, in which the 70-year-old admitted he wants to see the Broncos become a “grade A club as soon as possible”.
When asked in his weekly press conference, Wellens admitted he hadn’t seen what had gone on in the capital. However, after a brief overview of the Broncos’ vision, he gave his plaudits to Hetherington, saying he is the right man to lead the rebuild.
“Big believer in London as a rugby league club” – St Helens boss backs Broncos
“Gary Hetherington has been around the game, in a different capacity to me, for a long time,” said Wellens when speaking to the media.
“He’s someone I have a lot of respect for… He probably has a lot more insight into the day to day running of the game and where he sees the games future.”
Wellens knows how big of a boost London is to the game, after winning five Challenge Cups at Wembley with the Saints as a player.
“I’ve always been a big believer in London as a rugby league club,” noted Wellens, adding: “Having a presence in the capital is big for the growth of rugby league in this country.”
The first Test in the upcoming Ashes series will head to the national stadium with rugby league hoping to eclipse the 40,000+ who saw England take on Samoa in the World Cup semi-finals in 2022.
After recent comments from NRL CEO Shane Richardson about a potential league rebrand, with ‘NRL Europe’ reportedly in the pipeline, it could be argued that having a strong London side would only give more appeal to the Aussies coming over and restructuring England’s top competition.
Delighted to join the relaunch of @LondonBroncosRL at @AusHouseLondon today! 🏉
This exciting partnership will boost local economies, create opportunities for young players across London and strengthen our 🇬🇧🇦🇺 sporting ties. pic.twitter.com/357dfkcAc7— Catherine West (@CatherineWest1) May 21, 2025
Super League Disciplinary News
Every Super League player’s disciplinary record after latest charges
Huddersfield Giants
Leeds Rhinos outcast signs for Super League rivals amid hooker contract boost
