London Broncos recruit reinforces Super League ambitions amid honest Championship admission

London Broncos may boast an unbeaten record in the early stages of the new season, but Dean Hawkins insists they still have plenty more to come.

The Broncos underwent a dramatic overhaul of pretty much everything this off-season following a takeover of spearheaded by Grant Wechsel and NRL icon Darren Lockyer, including their playing squad.

New club captain Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Siliva Havili, Morea Morea, Luke Smith, Finley Glare, Gairo Voro and Hawkins himself are just some of the headline names to have swapped the Southern Hemisphere for life in the English capital.

Meanwhile, Super League players like Jack Croft and Elliot Wallis, among others, now call London their home.

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‘I can see improvements in and around training’

The early signs are very promising for the Broncos, who boast an aggregate score of 155-20 across their opening three games of the season against Widnes Vikings, Wests Warriors and Oldham, with two Championship games sandwiching a cup tie there.

Former Parramatta Eels man Hawkins feels London will only get better moving forward.

“The first two weeks have been pretty tough,” he said. “The stop-start nature made it tough on ourselves, but we showed resilience in our defence (against Oldham). We’ll build on it next week into Bradford.

“We get our confidence from training and the reps we do. The more we do in training, and the more games we play together, the better we’ll get as the year goes on.

Gelling a team together from scratch in only a few short weeks is not an easy task, especially given the intense spotlight the Broncos are now under with their Super League aims already out in the open, but the challenge of leading a team is one that excites the ex-NRL half-back.

“That was one of the things that brought me over here; trying to own my own team, and Jay (Jason Demetriou) has given me that opportunity. These past couple of months have been enjoyable, and I’m just trying to find my way and be a leader in this team, and the first two weeks have been good.

“I still think it’s early, but I can see improvements in and around training and within new combinations. It’s a long season, but the more reps we get into each other, the better we’ll be.”

‘We have a good leadership group here… we’ll do whatever is best for the team’

“We have a good leadership group here. We all lean on one another, and the coaches talk to us as well and then it’s us relaying it back to the group. As long as we’re on the same page, then that’s the goal.

“It happens naturally, we’ll do whatever is best for the team.”

London now face their biggest challenge of the new era this weekend, particularly with them hoping for a place in Super League, with Bradford Bulls set to venture to the Cherry Red Records Stadium for a Challenge Cup Third Round tie.

That game will be broadcast live on the BBC, and it’s one that Hawkins is relishing.

“Personally, it’s something I’ve had my eyes on,” he said. “We want to play at the highest level in the UK, so as a club we’re really looking forward to it.”