London Broncos appoint Tony Rea permanently

Tony Rea has signed a two-year contract to remain as London Broncos head coach.

Rea, 46, returned to the club on an interim basis in July, but has now been persuaded to make his stay a permanent one, following a run of form which has lifted the Broncos off the bottom of the Super League table.

Broncos chairman David Hughes said: "We’ve had lots of applications from Down Under and the UK and have given them all due consideration. One shouldn’t underestimate what a tough task it is coaching a club like the London Broncos but I think Tony Rea is the man for the job.

"I believe in his coaching. His prowess has strengthened in his time away from us. He’s experienced another code and allied to his motivational work this has made him the ideal candidate. He’s got a massive desire to coach again and he’s impressed on me that coaching is all he wants to do."

Rea was previously a chief executive and head coach at the club, leading London to the play-offs in 2003 and 2005, before re-signing in July 2006.

He coached the Brumbies Super Rugby union team in 2011, and had been working in the business world as a performance coach.

Rea said: "He (Hughes) sat me down and asked me to think about it and it was purely a coaching decision. If I scratch myself hard enough, I did miss coaching."

The Queenslander replaced Rob Powell last month, and has since led the Broncos to three back-to-back victories.