London Broncos coach open about ‘control’ of Super League push as naysayers shot down

London boss Jason Demetriou insists all the Broncos can do to aid their Super League push is continue winning games – with their fate ultimately out of their control.

On the back of last year’s takeover by Australian businessman Grant Wechsel and NRL icon Darren Lockyer, London failed in their bid to join Super League for 2026.

York Knights and Toulouse Olympique were the two clubs chosen for promotion instead by an independent panel.

In the season which has followed, the Broncos have instead swept all before them in the Championship: wrapping up the League Leaders’ Shield last weekend with an 1895 Cup final to come against Widnes Vikings as well as a play-offs campaign.

But there are still no guarantees the capital club will be allowed to make the step up into Super League come 2027, with the Rugby Football League (RFL) providing little inclination as to how the top-flight will shape up next year.

‘We can’t control when or if we get a decision on Super League, but what we can control is making sure we get as many IMG points as we can’

Head coach Demetriou, who is also at the helm of Papua New Guinea on the international stage, was drafted in to take charge of London ahead of 2026.

The 50-year-old spoke to the media on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the 1895 Cup final, which takes place against Widnes at the Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington on Bank Holiday Monday (August 31).

He said: “There’s a lot of talk about London for the right reasons. We’ve got great investors that have come in and changed the trajectory of the club, they’ve given it some real hope down here.

“The team’s been performing really well on the field, and that’s why the talk around London is where it is.

“Ultimately, we can’t control when or if we get a decision on Super League, but what we can control is making sure we get as many IMG points as we can. At the moment, that’s the avenue that we’re going to go after.

“Winning builds a fanbase and grows numbers, and it gives you IMG points as well in terms of the league.

“That’s probably our biggest thing, controlling what we can control to give the club the best chance it can have of getting promoted.

“We had over 1,800 again at the weekend (against Halifax Panthers), and while that’s not a Super League crowd in the Championship, we’ve consistently been in and around that mark of 2,000-2,500 at Wimbledon.

“A team that was averaging (attendances of) 600 last year, it’s a massive difference, a 300% improvement on where we’re at.

London have lost just two games so far in 2026. Super League outfit Bradford Bulls knocked them out of the Challenge Cup back in February before Oldham inflicted a first Championship defeat upon them earlier this month.

Demetriou added: “You get a feel around the town. When I first came to the club, nobody had a clue who you were if you were walking around town in your London kit.

“As it’s gone on, more and more people are beginning to take notice, particularly this summer.

“In the last two games at Wimbledon, the amount of young teenagers and kids that have been at the game is building excitement around what the London Broncos are doing, and that’s been really pleasing to see.

“I expect that’ll grow massively, especially if we can get the result on Monday to bring the trophy back down South.

“It’ll set up a finals series (play-offs) in Wimbledon, there’s a lot of improvement still to be had and the players’ performances will play a big part in that.”

‘If you get the investment right and get the right people in the business, the business can grow to be successful on and off the field’

Despite such dominant on-field performance and clear growth away from the match action, plenty of the apprehension around London returning to Super League comes in the fact the capital club have never had prolonged success at the top level.

The Broncos were beaten Challenge Cup finalists back in 1999, but their previous season in Super League in 2024 delivered little reason to cheer about – coming off the back of a shock play-off success against Toulouse.

Addressing the club’s historical lack of success, Demetriou said: “You could say the same thing about a lot of Northern clubs that have been doing it for 100 years… Featherstone, Oldham, Doncaster and all of those teams.

“A lot happens in 40 years in the world and in the structures of businesses and owners.

“It wasn’t long ago that people were saying Wakefield needed to be kicked out of the top-flight because they weren’t a Super League team. Now, we’re talking about them potentially winning Super League. Leigh were in the doldrums for a long, long time.

“But what we’ve seen is that if you get the investment right and get the right people in the business, the business can grow to be successful on and off the field.

“Whether it’s a Northern or Southern club, if you can get that right, (you’re onto a winner).

“IMG has definitely played a part in that in terms of growing that. There’s always been a North/South divide and that’s never going to change.

“We don’t want it to change either… we’re not asking for the crumbs off the table up there, we’re happy to come and steal your food!

“It is what it is. We’ll earn our place, we’re not asking for handouts. I just hope we get given a green light, like some teams have had in the past.”

Super League’s make-up for 2027 still hangs in the air, and so too does a potential investment in the British game from the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC).

That Super League-NRL partnership is far from over the line yet, and though a deal being completed may well aid London’s hopes of being in the top-flight next term, Demetriou added: “My focus is on being the best team and winning the Championship.

“Ultimately,  that’s when we can say we’ve earned the right (to get into Super League).

“It’s not only from an investment side of things, but a performance one.

“That’s what’s important… if we get into Super League, we’ve earned that right because we’ve played some footy that has allowed us to go in and compete with the best teams in the competition.

“I’m a big believer in that, and as we know now, it’s not as simple as promotion and relegation.

“Other things have to fall in your favour as well, but what we can control is making sure we do everything we need to do to make sure we hit the ground running in Super League in 2027.”

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