PNG Chiefs coach Willie Peters has revealed the level of ambition harboured by the fledgling franchise, declaring: โYou shouldnโt be aiming for anything less than chasing a trophy.โ
Despite having yet to reach their first free-agency period, the Chiefs have begun to assemble a strong squad, including Jarome Luai, Zac Lomax, Joey Manu, Connor Watson, Brian Toโo, Alex Johnston and Matty Lees.
Armed with the lure of federal government tax-free wages, the expansion club will be a major player in the transfer market when a list of superstars become free agents on November 1.
And Peters is adamant they aim to become a genuine contender when they enter the competition in 2028.
โOn the field, when youโre in the NRL or any professional environment, itโs about winning footy games, of course,โ he said.
โI donโt want to sit here and say weโll win the competition in the first year, but are we going to strive to do that? Absolutely. Are we going to strive to be a top-four club? Absolutely. We need to create a roster and a team of winners; thatโs what elite, professional sport is about.
โNovember 1st is going to be a busy time, and we want to make sure we nail the best of whatโs out there. More importantly, we want to see who wants to come over.
โWe want to build a squad and a roster that we believe can hit the ground running and be a top-four club, because thatโs what we need to aim for. When you go into a pre-season in the NRL, you shouldnโt be aiming for anything less than chasing a trophy.โ
Peters knows what success looks like. The former Rabbitohs and Dragons halfback took Super League outfit Hull KR to the 2025 title, culminating in a World Club Challenge victory over Penrith. He was also the assistant coach to Kevin Walters during the Kangaroosโ clean sweep in the Ashes series last year against England.
The Chiefs boast a stacked back line, with the next challenge assembling a forward pack that can allow them to shine.
โI go by the old saying: forwards win matches, and backs decide by how many,โ Peters said. โAt the moment, weโre not winning any because we have no forwards … [general manager of football] Michael Chammas and [recruiter] Liam Ayoub are doing a great job. If we donโt get any conversions, Iโll blame them, because theyโre at 100 per cent at the moment.
โThatโs one of the parts that was attractive about the job โ building a roster. Weโre going to get knockbacks, and weโre going to go through many challenges with leverage from managers and all that sort of gear. Itโs all part of it.
โPeople are saying players are going there for the tax-free dollars, and thatโs fine โ everyoneโs entitled to an opinion. But itโs not going to be as easy as everyone thinks.โ
Adrian Proszenko travelled to Port Moresby as a guest of the PNG Chiefs.
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