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NRL exodus? Demetriou confident of poaching big names to Super League
Sam Kosack • September 24th, 2025 4:54 pm
New London Broncos coach Jason Demetriou has declared it won’t be difficult for the club to attract NRL talent as the club hopes to re-enter the Super League in 2026.
Demetriou was announced as the coach of the London Broncos on a three-year deal after NRL legend Darren Lockyer purchased a majority stake in the side.
With the Super League expanding to include two extra teams next season, three new sides will likely enter the competition with the Salford Red Devils expected to drop out due to financial issues.
Demetriou, who was formerly head coach of the South Sydney Rabbitohs and PNG Kumuls, is hoping to use those connections to attract NRL and Papua New Guinean talent, particularly with the quota of non-domestic players allowed per team increasing to ten.
“I will say this, (my) phone has been nonstop,” Demetriou told SEN 1170 Mornings.
“There is a lot of interest in players going over there and at the moment, the quota has gone up to ten players.
“It’s not going to be too difficult to put a very competitive team together in a short amount of time.
“Connections through the Kumuls are also going to help in bringing over some potential superstars to the Super League.”
Multiple NRL players have already been linked with the London club, including Titans’ prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Sea Eagles’ fullback Tom Trbojevic, while Lockyer also expressed interest in embattled star Victor Radley if he was released by the Roosters.
One player who could join Demetriou at the London Broncos is Dragons’ halfback Lachlan Ilias.
Ilias played his first full year of NRL under Demetriou at the South Sydney Rabbitohs, where he built a close relationship with the coach, before making the move to the St George Dragons this season, where he has spent most of the year in reserve grade.
The halfback is preparing for this week’s NSW Cup grand final against the New Zealand Warriors, having led the team to the finals after being relegated mid-season.
Ilias’s manager Braith Anasta has previously said he was “losing hope” in the half returning to first grade at the Dragons, with Demetriou open to re-uniting with the half at London.
“I know Lachie (Ilias) has the ambition still to prove himself or stay in the NRL and it doesn’t like that opportunity is going to come through the Dragons,” Demetriou said.
“I’m not sure where he’s at in terms of other suitors but, if not, I don’t think it’s going to hurt him or other young halves like him to go and spend a year or two in the Super League.
“It’s been done many times before with a lot of success over the last few years.
“I think he’d be open to it. He’s obviously represented Greece… I don’t think he’d be averse to the idea of going over there but I know he does have ambitions to play in the NRL.
“I think he’s shown he’s above NSW cup.”
