Brisbane CEO Dave Donaghy has slammed reports out of the United Kingdom that the Brisbane Broncos are set to make a bid for struggling Championship side London Broncos.
Earlier this week, reports emerged out of the UK that the London franchise – recently relegated from the Super League after finishing as wooden spooners last season – was set to be bought by the Brisbane club for a second time, having previously owned the franchise from 1994-1997.
David Hughes currently has the club up for sale, and it seemed too good to be true in terms of timing after talks between the NRL and the Super League around further investment late last year appeared to stall.
Speaking with News Corp, however, Donaghy made it clear that it was too good to be true.
Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
“I’m aware of interest from English clubs seeking investment from their Australian counterparts,” Donaghy said.
“But to be clear, ownership of a UK club is not something the Brisbane Broncos are considering right now.“
The result is likely to disappoint the higher-ups of the Super League – with the code aiming to try and rejuvenate interest in the competition. Most of the clubs in the competition have also reported significant financial losses in 2024, which only further adds to the issues.
The competition does enjoy a following in Australia – and NRL clubs having connections with English counterparts has occurred in the past.
While the Broncos have shut down claims, speculation will likely continue around potential partnerships between the Australian and English games – reports emerged from The Daily Telegraph in February last year that the NRL considered buying the entire competition outright.
Arrow set for Round One return
South Sydney Rabbitohs forward Jai Arrow has confirmed that he is “on track for round one“, but will miss most of the preseason trials as the club looks to reverse fortunes with Wayne Bennett.
The star hasn’t been seen since Round 19, having battled with a shoulder injury for most of the 2024 season, as the Bunnies’ fortunes continued to slide.
At the time, Arrow revealed he had forced himself to play through much of the pain.
“We haven’t had the luxury to have me go and get the surgery earlier on because we’ve had so many injuries,” he said in an interview with Wide World of Sports.
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However, the star is set for a comeback in 2025, revealing to Sportsday that while he expects “the lungs might be burning” after such a long recovery, he hopes to be ready for the start of the season – and expects there to be a lot of work to do after the Bunnies’ disappointing 2024 season.
“[I] spoke to the physios a couple weeks ago… I felt like I had a few mixed messages [on] when my return was going to be” Arrow confirmed.
“[I have since] been confirmed for Round 1, but no trials this year.
“A lot of hard work needs to be done leading into this year, and we’re working really hard to get ourselves physically fit and firing for the season ahead.”