Leigh Leopards’ Adrian Lam insists he has not been contacted or approached regarding the head coach role with Papua New Guinea Chiefs. Lam has been regularly linked with the top job at the Chiefs and as the organisation gathers pace and readies itself to step into the NRL in 2028, his name has...
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Leigh Leopards boss Adrian Lam admits he is 'keeping an eye on' the PNG Chiefs situation as reports linking him with the job continue.
www.loverugbyleague.com
Adrian Lam on NRL speculation and the health of his Leigh Leopards squad.
www.alloutrugbyleague.co.uk
He is one of the front runners for the job.
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Hull KR head coach Willie Peters' time at the club appears to be coming to an end after PNG Chiefs made him their first-choice candidate.
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REVEALED: Gun Aussie coach gets NRL job after historic spree... in blow to exiled rivals
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Fresh reports have emerged.
www.hulldailymail.co.uk
The trophy winner has settled his future after becoming one of rugby league’s most sought-after head coaches.
7news.com.au
What does Willie Peters’ PNG appointment mean for NRL coaching market?
Peter Maniaty
There are multiple reports Hull KR’s Australian head coach Willie Peters has won the race to become the inaugural head coach of the PNG Chiefs.
According to the
Sydney Morning Herald Peters has told his players of his intention to take on the PNG role, beating a trio of fellow Australians also currently coaching in England—Brad Arthur, Jason Demetriou and Adrian Lam.
Following considerable success in the Super League in recent years, it was widely accepted Peters would soon make his way into NRL coaching. The only questions being when and with which club?
Now it seems we know the answers to both.
Coming at a time when several current NRL coaches are under increasing pressure to justify and retain their jobs, Peters’ looming appointment inevitably reshapes the wider NRL coaching landscape in 2027 and beyond.
First and foremost, his appointment is a huge coup for Chiefs CEO Lorna McPherson and GM Michael Chammas as the club prepares to become the NRL’s 19th franchise in 2028.
At just 47, Peters is a highly regarded senior coach still very much on the rise, bringing instant credibility and profile to the PNG program as it seeks to establish itself as an NRL force and attract a premiership calibre playing roster when it goes to market from November 1 this year.
Looking beyond the Chiefs, Peters’ signing removes one of the game’s most compelling coaching candidates from the talent pool, thus squeezing options for clubs like Manly, North Queensland and potentially even the
Dragons who could all be in the market for a new head coach by season’s end.
Despite missing the PNG job, the stocks of experienced NRL mentors such as Brad Arthur and Jason Demetriou have instantly risen.
Kevin Walters may also find himself in high demand, particularly if the
Cowboys job was to become available, potentially working alongside his former assistant at the
Brisbane Broncos Ben Te’o.
Assistants Dean Young and Michael Ennis will also no doubt watching on closely should things continue to head south at the Dragons in 2026.
Whatever happens next, the annual NRL merry-go-round is gaining momentum.
Where it stops, nobody knows. But we do know one leading candidate is now out.
