Willie Peters lines up incredible Nathan Cleary swoop as PNG transfer plans laid out

Aaron Bower
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Willie Peters and Nathan Cleary

Willie Peters' new club, the PNG Chiefs, are targeting a move for Nathan Cleary (inset).

Hull KR coach Willie Peters’ next club are weighing up an audacious swoop to sign Nathan Cleary as they prepare to enter the NRL in 2028: with Peters spelling out the PNG Chiefs’ recruitment options.

Peters has been confirmed as the first head coach of the Papua New Guinea-based franchise when they come into the competition in two years, with his exit from Rovers set to take place at the end of the coming season.

The franchise can already speak to free agents and secure their futures for 2028 but players who are off-contract at the end of next year can be spoken to at the end of this season: and there are some star-studded names in that bracket.

They include Kangaroos superstar Cleary and his Australian team-mates Cam Munster and Isaah Yeo, and Peters may well have an edge in recruitment given how he has worked with the pair during his time as the Kangaroos assistant coach last year.

Reports in Australia have suggested Cleary is one of the major targets for the Chiefs as they aim to hit the ground running in the NRL immediately, and Peters said while he wouldn’t be drawn on individual names, he is aiming big.

“I have to be mindful not to talk too much around recruitment now that they are contracted to other clubs,” he said.

“I spent time with them in the Ashes with the Kangaroos and they were exceptional. I don’t want to talk specifically about those two players, but more in general around the mentality of the players we want.

“We want guys always seeking to be a better player and who want to be a leader and those type of things. At the right time, if players want to talk to the Chiefs, then I’m sure Michael Chammas will be on the phone.”

Peters admitted the prospect of taking on such a unique job in Papua New Guinea was one of the major draws in him deciding to end his time with Hull KR, having established the Robins as a major force in rugby league.

“The uniqueness of it, that’s what attracted myself and family to the role,” he said.

“I hadn’t thought about it too much. Then I thought around the areas that would attract me – building a roster, building a staff and building a culture.”

NRL Hull KR

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