Broncos Affiliate With Easts Tigers
Queensland Cup entity Easts Tigers has joined with the WOW Brisbane Broncos in a new affiliate club arrangement.
The agreement will give a direct pathway to the NRL for young Tiger talent while also immediately providing two young men with a taste of life in the NRL.
Tigers' players Trent Young and Luke Archer have already started pre-season training with the Broncos' senior squad, and will continue through until the NRL competition begins.
The pair - along with any other Easts player who catches the eye of the Broncos coaching staff during the season - will be dually-registered with both the Tigers and Broncos, making them eligible for both the NRL and Queensland Cup.
In a further boost to the program, Bronco top liners Tonie Carroll and Darius Boyd will be listed as affiliate players with the Tigers.
The agreement is binding for the next three years, with Broncos chief executive Bruno Cullen welcoming the Tigers into the fold.
"We are very pleased Easts has chosen to join us in a partnership such as this," said Mr Cullen.
"It has been shown in the past through the exploits of players like Shane Perry, Nick Emmett and Mick Roberts, that Queensland Cup players can make the step up to the NRL if they are just given the chance.
"This scheme has shown to be especially fortuitous for the Broncos when we are without our top players through the representative season.
"We are certain this new relationship with Easts will provide similar benefits to both the Broncos and the talented youngsters at their club."
Easts chief executive Des Morris said it made sense to join with the Tigers' local NRL club and provide a direct pathway for the club's junior players.
"It is a good opportunity for our State League players, but also for our juniors as well," said Mr Morris.
"A large majority of our junior players and their parents are supporters of the Broncos, and this shows them a way forward.
"In addition, our State League players are not that far away from NRL level, so being in tandem with the Broncos makes far better sense that being involved with a club that is not situated in Brisbane."
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Broncos Affiliate With Easts Tigers
