First posted on PATREON and SUBSTACK
By STEVE MASCORD
HIS father scored a try in the first Super League match in Paris and played for England and Great Britain – but London Broncos rookie Finley Hay already makes the old man look like a homebody.
When the Broncos beat Swinton 66-18 on September 5 in their final regular season match of the year, benchman Finley Hay had finally arrived in fulltime pro rugby league from the north of England via Auckland, Germany and Loughborough.
His father Andy – who crossed for Sheffield that historic night at Charlety Stadium 30 years ago – played five Tests in white as well as red white and blue, winning the Challenge Cup at Wembley with Leeds in 1999.
An accomplished coach, he took an overseers role with Germany and then the Auckland rugby league, meaning young Fin spent his formative years on the other side of the world.
Then it was Loughborough University upon his return to the Northern Hemisphere.
“Andy Hay … I played with at Widnes and (he) had a good career at Castleford and Leeds and played international footy as well,” said Broncos coach Jason Demetriou.
“He’s been down here, spent time playing his junior rugby league in New Zeakand and then back to London and spent some time in Germany and back here.
“He came into our system late, into our reserve system, and he and guys like Henry Lenthall and Jonesy (Will Jones) have all done a good job in a depleted reserves side during the year because of how small our reserves team is as well.
“But they’ve all shown signs that they are potentially someone who can come into the fulltime system.
“Henry and Finley have bee training with us the last three weeks fulltime and we saw (against Swinton) the talent they’ve both got.”
There’s uncertainty over what competition London will be part of next year but fulltime contracts are likely to be available for more local players.
That’s if Fin Hay considers himself local to anywhere.
Image: Ben Duffy/SWpix
