Australia legend Lockyer hopes new Broncos can buck London’s rugby league resistance

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Darren Lockyer has faced some monumental challenges for club and country but this year his trickiest task may be finding the opponents of his new club on a map as he takes on rugby league’s mission impossible,Throughout his illustrious career, Lockyer faced Melbourne Storm, Sydney Roosters and some of the world’s best international teams,This year, Lockyer’s interests will be centred on places like Goole, Swinton and Batley after taking ownership of London Broncos late last year and attempting to make them a rugby league powerhouse,“I’m about to get stuck into all that aspect of finding out more about our opponents: it’s all part of the fun,” he says in the buildup to Sunday’s season opener against Widnes,“I played a lot of rugby in the UK but there are a lot of places I’ve never been or even heard of, so I’m really looking forward to all of that.

It’s a journey that’s pretty unique and new for me, which is exciting,”Lockyer and his business partner, Grant Wechsel, are having to do this the long-winded way,When they took ownership in September they were adamant the club were in a strong position to claim a spot in the expanded 14-team Super League for 2026 but London missed out via IMG’s gradings system,That means for at least one season, Lockyer and London have to contend with the second tier, where they are the only full-time operation among the 20 teams,But the pull of the Kangaroos great, coupled with some significant investment, means they have still been able to attract some marquee signings.

Among them are the Australia international Reagan Campbell-Gillard, who would be one of the best forwards in Super League let alone the second tier.The former South Sydney coach Jason Demetriou will also lead the team and expectations are high that after a fairly low-key existence thus far, rugby league in London could have its breakthrough moment.But anyone with even a potted history of the club would be quick to remind Lockyer that there have been moments like this before, not least in the 1990s when Richard Branson owned the club.Can this be different? “It’s going to be a real challenge, and we understand how big a task is ahead of us,” he says.“It’s been a real eye-opener so far.

“People before us have learned the hard way that the hardest part is getting people in London to wake up to the game.But we think we’ve got some strategies and plans that make us different.We want to get people coming to the ground who perhaps don’t understand rugby league, but we can attract them here in other ways and then get them hooked.”Sunday’s game against Widnes will see celebrity input from the former England rugby union star James Haskell and social media personality Big John, both of whom have already helped promote the club after a rebrand in the off-season.More big names are expected this weekend, and the new regime will go after London’s expat Australian community in a bid for new fans.

Games will probably be moved across the city in 2026 rather than remain at the club’s Wimbledon home and after numerous members of the Papua New Guinea national team joined the club, London will beam games back to the island in a bid to build a global profile.Lockyer’s pull alone will ensure eyeballs and attention in Australia.It is hard not to look ahead already, though.London will be almost a certainty to get the nod for Super League in 2027, which is where the vision for the club will truly come alive.“A lot of time and resource went into our Super League bid and while it was disappointing to miss out, it gives us a bigger runway to build,” Lockyer says.

Before then, London are also aiming for a run in the Challenge Cup, where they could make the latter stages with the squad they have put together.Most interestingly for the game though, all of this is happening at a time when Super League is renegotiating its own broadcast deal, which could significantly shape the sport’s medium-term future in the UK.Having a strong London at the table undoubtedly boosts those prospects.Lockyer, Wechsel and the new-look Broncos have made some very encouraging noises thus far but on Sunday, the talking stops and the journey truly begins.
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How to turn any root vegetables into latkes – recipe | Waste not

It’s not just potatoes that you can turn into these moreish fried cakes – just about any root veg will do the trickCrisp, savoury and satiating latkes are my idea of the perfect brunch and, rather than sticking to potatoes, I often make them with a mixture of root vegetables, using up whatever I have to hand – just 25-50g of any vegetable will make a latke – and adding some ground linseeds or flax, which gives breakfast some nutrition-boosting omega-3s. I usually have them with a poached egg for protein or apple compote and soya yoghurt.This is a great way to use up any tired root vegetables lurking in the crisper drawer, and a recipe I come back to again and again. Latkes are a traditional Jewish potato cake that work really well made with other root vegetables as well. If I have a few different coloured vegetables, I will grate and mix the vegetables separately to make multicoloured latkes, but it’s much simpler to mix them all together

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Eleven quick and easy summer weekday dinners, from pasta to Maggi goreng – recipes

(Pictured above)Rukmini Iyer’s recipe contains a microwave method for cooking rice, but I’ve successfully made basmati in a rice cooker countless times – just pop the whole garlic clove in with the rice grains. After that, it’s only a matter of stir-frying the cashews, broccoli and tofu. If you need more convincing, Iyer says this recipe was “an absolute hit with my children”. My own children happily mainline tofu and rice, and can be persuaded to have broccoli if I tell them they’re actually eating mini Christmas trees, so I believe her.There are many ways to level up your instant noodles, and this recipe follows a familiar formula: add greens for health and a fried egg for protein

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January tips if you’re cooking for one | Kitchen aide

I really struggle with cooking for one, so what can I make in January that’s interesting but easy and, most importantly, warming?Jane, via email “There’s an art to the perfect solo meal,” says Bonnie Chung, author of Miso: From Japanese Classics to Everyday Umami, “and that’s balancing decadence with ease.” For Chung, that means good-quality ingredients (“tinned anchovies, jarred beans”), a dish that can be cooked in one pan (“a night alone must be maximised with minimal washing-up”) and eaten with a single piece of cutlery, “preferably in front of the telly and out of a bowl nestling in your lap”. Happily, she says, all of those requirements are met by miso udon carbonara: “It has all the rich and creamy nirvana of a cheesy pasta, but with a delicious, mochi-like chew that is incredibly satisfying.” Not only that, but you can knock it up in less than 10 minutes. “Melt cheese, milk and miso in a pan to make the sauce base, then add frozen udon that have been soaked in hot water

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Cheesy celeriac souffle and citrus salad: Thomasina Miers’ recipes to brighten a dark winter’s day

There is a skill in not wasting food and it’s all about good, old-fashioned housekeeping. If you learn how to store ingredients properly (cool, dark places are handy for spuds, for example) and keep tabs on what’s in your fridge/freezer, you can use everything up before it goes off – and make delicious things in the process. This golden, cheese-crusted souffle uses up the celeriac and spuds left after the festive season, plus any odds and ends of cheeses. It is spectacularly good, especially paired with a sparkling citrus salad.Sweet onions, soft roots and lots of cheese rise into a light, golden souffle with none of the fuss of making a bechamel

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Georgina Hayden’s quick and easy recipe for antipasti beans on toast | Quick and easy

Perhaps you still have some cheeseboard odds and sods in the fridge from Christmas? I know I still have a few to get through, but, other than that, my fridge and cupboards are looking pretty bare. Beans on toast has always been my go-to meal in times such as these, and when I need comfort, familiarity and ease. What used to involve opening a tin and reheating the contents, however, has now become something slightly more elaborate. But only slightly: these beans are incredibly simple and quick to make, with store-bought antipasti adding real depth.I like to use about one third pitted olives to a mix of sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes, but use whichever ratio and vegetables you have to hand

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West African sunshine dishes: Toyo Odetunde’s chicken yassa pot pie and stuffed plantain boats – recipes

If there’s anything that can assuage my winter blues, it’s a soul-soothing chicken pie. I’ve long enjoyed innovating fusions between west African and other cuisines, and today’s marriage of a deeply flavourful Senegalese chicken yassa-inspired filling in buttery, flaky puff pastry is one of my all-time favourites. But, first, my take on hearty Nigerian stewed beans – ewa riro – using tinned beans for added convenience. Typically paired with ripe plantain, I use the rich beans to fill canoas (plantain boats) in a playful, Latin American-inspired twist.Dried prawns and west African red palm oil, which are integral to our cooking (and the latter is not to be confused with those industrial palm oils that are driving mass deforestation), give this dish its signature umami and uniquely earthy and subtly sweet flavour