London Broncos coach Jason Demetriou admitted to feeling the most nervous he had been for some time before his side’s rampant 44-12 win over Widnes Vikings on Sunday.
Second-half tries from high-profile signings Dean Hawkins and Reagan Campbell-Gillard seized control of clash at Plough Lane, having led 16-12 at the break in their Championship season-opener.
It follows rugby league great Darren Lockyer and businessman Grant Wechsel’s acquisiton of a 90% stake in the now-title hopefuls last September, and an unsuccessful bid to return Broncos to this year’s expanded Super League.
Although former South Sydney Rabbitohs boss Demetriou was short of time to properly assess his 18 new arrivals, the 50-year-old lauded his side’s blockbuster opening-day performance.
He said: “Coming into that game was the most nervous I’ve been as a coach for a long time, purely because there were so many unknowns.
“I’ve played with guys before that are the worst trainers on the team, but get out on the field and they’re the best players you want next to you.
“I was pleased with what I saw – a group of guys willing to work for their teammates, turn up when things are going against them.”
A bumper crowd of roughly 4,000 fans turned up to cheer on the London side, a far cry from their average of 800 across last year’s Championship campaign.
The Broncos finished in a lowly 10th place in 2025 while the Vikings ended just four points shy of the play-offs, but on first glance the game on Sunday suggested a reversal of roles.
Widnes’ spirited first-half display saw the Cheshire side haul themselves level at 12 apiece before Hawkins’ explosive try and the floodgates opening from the 45th minute.
Two-time World Cup winner Campbell-Gillard, having notched 22 tries in 245 NRL matches, said the players were “stoked” to play in front of an unprecedentedly large home crowd.
He jokingly opened with: “Well, we paid £200, I think, in fines. I’ll be contesting that.
“But the boys were pretty stoked, they’ve never experienced the crowd like that. If we can play good football and put bums on seats it will have that sort of backing.”
The Broncos, who went under the Harlequins Rugby League from 2006-2011, have seen their average attendance plummet from an average of 5,500 supporters during the mid-2000s.
In 2013, they achieved a first Challenge Cup semi-final appearance since their run to the final 14 years earlier, but were relegated to the second tier just a year later.
Broncos opened their last Super League stint in 2024 with 10 consecutive defeats, usually conceding just short of the 44 points they put past the Vikings on Sunday.
New head coach Demetriou reported a clean bill of health following his team’s emphatic victory, with no injuries heading into the Challenge Cup second-round clash with Acton-based amateurs Wests Warriors at Richmond Athletic Ground this Sunday.
The Australian added the club will aim to retain a strong backing with similar performances throughout the new season and turn a corner in the latest chapter in London Broncos history.
He said: “You know how much Grant and Lockyer have invested in the club.
“Day-to-day you’re seeing their investment, trying to reach new areas in London and grow the crowd.
“We’ve got the numbers, we want them to keep coming back and we want them to bring their mates – and we want London to start aiming for the stars, not come last.”
Feature image: London Broncos
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