Wigan Warriors icon sounds London Broncos Super League warning

Former Wigan Warriors and Great Britain star Brian Carney fears Super League could be in danger of making too many concessions to NRL chief Peter V'landys in expanding from 14 to 15 clubs - and believes the UK game is 'dancing to his tune'.

Clubs on Wednesday voted to add an extra side to the top flight in time for 2027, with London Broncos expected to be the mystery beneficiary.

However, Carney has advised caution on structural changes that may not have been properly thought through.

"If London are admitted, two issues are worth considering," said. the Irishman, who leads the Sky Sports Super League coverage.

"The first is that this is the power of Peter at work. NRL chief Peter V'landys made London's presence in Super League in 2028 a prerequisite of any strategic partnership. He was absolutely insistent, and he got his way.

"The clubs are, to a degree, dancing to his tune.

"As this process only began after the NRL suggested that London Broncos had to be in to secure their investment, everyone assumes that it will be London that comes up.

"This is despite them being 16th in the IMG gradings, which were introduced to bring a data led process to promotion and relegation.

"We have of course been here before. Last year the Super League was expanded to 14 on the argument that the fans did not want repeat 'loop' fixtures.

"I opposed the admission of Toulouse and York [in 2025] on a simple principle: if you cannot offer a club full central distribution, you are not ready to admit them.

"We also saw the dangers of making reduced distribution a condition of entry with Bradford Bulls back in 2013.

"The new process means that clubs will be well within their right to challenge London. Will Barrow, who finished 15th on IMG rankings, be persuaded to submit an application? Do Widnes think they have more to offer than London?"

Speaking to Sky Sports, Carney also highlighted numerous failures to expand the game in London as proof there may not necessarily be the appetite for another attempt in the capital.

"Since the London Broncos' nascence as Fulham RLFC at Craven Cottage in 1980, they have moved from ground to ground across London playing to an ever-dwindling number of fans," he added.

"When Super League was born in 1996, they were to be the centrepiece to the game's growth. They signed genuine national superstars in Shaun Edwards and Martin Offiah. They even had Britain's most famous businessman (Richard Branson) as its owner - and even he could not make it work.

"How will they fill stands that have rarely been full? How will they engage an audience that has shown little sustained interest in almost 50 years?

"Blaming ground moves, or an imbalance between spending on the playing squad and investment off the field, misses the point. Those decisions were made because previous approaches weren't working.

"In Wigan, St Helens or Wakefield, the game is woven into the life of the town. It is passed from parent to child and it is part of what it means to belong to the place.

"At the moment, London has no such inheritance to draw on - and no amount of new players will change that."