PNG Chiefs coach addresses homegrown talent pool as interest in NRL legend confirmed

New PNG Chiefs boss Willie Peters says his squad will include local talent with pathways being put in place, but has not ruled out adding star quality from elsewhere.

Peters was officially unveiled as the Chiefs’ first-ever head coach earlier this week, with the franchise set to enter the NRL at the 2028 season.

The Australian will depart Hull KR at the end of this year, with 2027 devoted to ensuring every box is ticked in Port Moresby ahead of the NRL debut.

This will mark the 47-year-old’s first head coach role in the NRL, and while there are plenty of question marks around various things relating to the franchise, there’s no doubt over how he wants his squad to shape up.

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‘Papua New Guinea has players over there that people are not looking at or seeing at the moment that could certainly play’

Papua New Guinea’s national team, the Kumuls, have enjoyed success on the international front over the last few years with their growth there for all to see.

Super League has had an influx of Kumuls talent, with elder statesman Rhyse Martin forming part of Peters’ squad at Hull KR.

And it’s local PNG talent that the focus, or at least some of it will be on with the Chiefs, as Peters detailed: “Everyone looks at the Penrith model, I certainly do, and when the Rabbitohs won the competition, they had a number of juniors in their team.

“To have sustained success, you need to have success first but then you need to develop from within.

“We’re a salary cap sport, so that’s the best way to have sustained success. Penrith is a perfect example of that.

“My point is, you need to look within first. Papua New Guinea has players over there that people are not looking at or seeing at the moment that could certainly play, whether it’s in Super League or progressing into the NRL.

“When I do start with the Chiefs, we need to make sure there’s a genuine pathway to play in the NRL team.

“I’m certainly not going to put a number on how many (PNG players will be in the squad) in that first year, but the conversations would obviously be around who potentially can play NRL.

“You don’t just hand a jersey out, you’ve got to earn it, but there’s got to be a development pathway for the local players of PNG to be able to play for the Chiefs one day.

“That’s the plan, there will be players from PNG in that team.”

Chiefs’ interest in NRL legend and Kumuls ace Alex Johnston confirmed

While Peters made no secret of his desire for star quality from elsewhere, there is nothing to say that players being drafted in won’t have ties to the country of PNG.

One of those, Alex Johnston, has already expressed his desire to don a Chiefs shirt come 2028. A Kumuls representative through his maternal grandmother, he is now the NRL’s all-time leading try-scorer.

Asked about interest in the legendary winger – whose South Sydney Rabbitohs contract – expires at the end of the 2027 campaign,  Peters admitted: “Alex is very passionate about where he’s from.

“He’s made it known that he’d certainly want to talk to PNG. There’s no doubt that at the right time, we’d like to talk to him as well.

“They (players of interest) are with current clubs at the moment, so we’ve got to respect that, that’s for sure.

“We’ve got to make sure for any player that if they’re contracted for 2027, we can’t speak to them until November.

“If they’re off-contract now, then you certainly can (speak to them).”