PNG Chiefs coach, family arrive in Port Moresby

The inaugural PNG Chiefs head coach, Willie Peters, his wife, and kids landed in Port Moresby today (October 16th) to begin his commitments with the NRL’s 19th franchise.

Coach Peters and his family were received by the reigning Hiri Hanenamo Queen, Mary Ruth Kua, alongside a traditional welcome ceremony at the Ceremonial Arrivals Gate.

Coach Peters was overwhelmed with the welcome reception: “That was an unbelievable welcome for my family and me. We are so excited to be here.”

While Peters’ wife and kids had visited the country early this year, the Chiefs’ mentor touched down on PNG’s shores for the first time.

“Absolutely amazing. I’ve never been here before, but I’ve always been told what it’s like about people being obsessed with the game of rugby league,” he said.

“To get this welcome here is very special. My family and I are really proud to be here. We want to make the country proud through our actions.” 

The inaugural coach stressed the huge responsibility given to him to build the fledgling franchise from the ground up. 

“I’ve said this since day one that it’s about earning your trust, and our goal is to make the PNG people proud,” Peters said.

“We will do that on the field, but obviously, how we conduct ourselves off the field is more important as well.”

The Australian said he decided to join the Chiefs, noting that it is more than rugby league: "The main reason why I took this job was the impact that we can have on this country.

“The last club that I was at, we played for the community, and now, the club that I’m at, we’ll play for the country.

“To be able to unite the country in the most positive way through rugby league, which I know the people of PNG love, is to ensure that we make the people here proud.” 

Peters added that he came to PNG with his family to watch the World Cup, and hopefully, scout some local players and nurture them for future opportunities. 

“Absolutely. That's why I’m here. I wanted to come and watch the Kumuls play two games in Port Moresby, and then go watch them play in Sydney,” he said. 

“I’ll be cheering for them this weekend, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the guys at training and, more importantly, what they do on the field. 

“The goal for us is to develop as many PNG players as possible. It’ll take some time to build our squad. 

“We’ve got some players at the moment, but ultimately down the track in ten years, we want to have more Papua New Guinean players and staff as well.”

Peters hinted that they’ve already signed the back line and are looking to bolster the roster with the forward pack in the coming months. 

Willie Peters signed a four-year deal with the PNG Chiefs as the club’s head coach. He will coach the Chiefs from 2028 until 2032.