London Broncos & Leeds Rhinos - who has played for both?
London Broncos & Leeds Rhinos - who has played for both?
Andy Ackers
A Manchester born hooker who started his career at Swinton Lions, Ackers joined London Broncos in 2016 and became a full-time professional. In his two years at the club Ackers impressed as Broncos finished 2nd in both seasons and he notched 20 tries in 48 games.
After two years in London, Ackers reportedly became homesick and requested his contract be terminated so he could move closer to family. A short time later Ackers joined the Toronto Wolfpack. Broncos would then play Toronto in the Million Pound Game in 2019 where it was Danny Ward’s side that would win the game and book a place in Super League.
After two years at Toronto, then came a three year spell at Salford Red Devils before a move to Headingley and Leeds Rhinos at the start of the 2024 season.
Luke Gale
Born in Leeds and a graduate of the Rhinos academy, Gale’s first introduction to first team action was on loan with Doncaster. In 2008, in his second year at Doncaster, Gale scored 229 points and attracted interest from a host of Super League clubs. Gale moved to what was then Harlequins Rugby League and spent two years in London where he began to establish himself as one of the best creative players in the league.
After two years in London Gale moved on to Bradford before 4 years at Castleford saw his most memorable spell, where Castleford won the League Leaders Shield and a number of individual awards including Man of Steel. In 2019 he returned to his boyhood club Leeds Rhinos spending just a solitary season there before spells at Hull FC & Keighley Cougars and he now turns out for Wakefield Trinity.
Rohan Smith
Maybe a leftfield choice to include the now former Leeds Rhinos head coach but Rohan Smith’s first job in England was in fact with London Broncos. Smith was born in Australia and is the son of former Australian player and coach Brian Smith and nephew of Tony Smith. Despite never playing the game professionally, Smith’s first coaching role was with New Zealand Warriors aged just 21.
In 2006 Smith moved to England as Tony Rea’s assistant coach where he would stay for two seasons before returning to Australia to assist his father at the Sydney Roosters and the Newcastle Knights in the NRL. Before coaching Leeds Rhinos, Smith has been head coach at Tonga, North Devils and Bradford Bulls.
Ben Jones Bishop
Another player born in Leeds who went on to represent the club and also Harlequins Rugby League. As a youngster Jones-Bishop broke through into the Leeds first team in 2008 and enjoyed a prolific spell scoring 56 tries in 82 games. Despite staying at Leeds until 2014, Jones-Bishop would join Harlequins Rugby League in 2010 on loan, playing 18 times and scoring 11 tries. After leaving Leeds in 2014 Jones-Bishop moved to Salford Red Devils and then onto Wakefield, whilst he is still playing and a regular scorer now with Sheffield Eagles in the Championship.
Danny Ward
A man who has not only played for both Leeds Rhinos and London Broncos but of course Danny Ward has also coached London Broncos. Born in Dewsbury, Ward went on to have a trophy laden time at Headingley winning Super League, Challenge Cup and the World Club Challenge. After leaving Leeds in 2006, Ward joined Castleford Tigers although he would spend just one season there before joining Hull KR. It was just one year in Hull before making the move down to London where he would enjoy three years before retiring in 2011. In 2018 Ward would return to London as head coach where he would spend another three years which included promotion to Super League in 2019.
Mark Calderwood
A Leeds Rhinos legend and England international but Mark Calderword was born in Greenwich in London but it wasn’t to be until the later stages of his career until he would play in the city of his birth. Coming through at Yorkshire amateur side Stanningley before signing for Leeds, Calderwood went on to score 106 tries in 142 appearances before making a move to Wigan Warriors. Equally prolific at international level he would score 11 tries in 11 games. It was in 2011 that Calderwood would play for then Harlequins Rugby League playing for just the solitary season before moving to Workington Town for a season before retiring.
Other players to have played for both Leeds Rhinos and London Broncos
Wellington Albert, Karl Ablett, Liam Botham, Ben Walker, John Gallagher, Chris McKenna & Roger Draper
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