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PNG's back.

G

Gobsmacked

First Grade
Messages
5,650
Wb1234 said:
Couldn’t open the article and yeh foreign companies investing in png is good but it would be better if local firms could be doing that and keeping the profits themselves

This team should benefit png as much as possible possible and not foreign companies if it can be avoided
Click to expand...
Investment needs to come from outside PNG.
 
W

Wb1234

Immortal
Messages
47,302
Rohan Kelly
PNG BOMBSHELL
The ARLC has made a bold decision by poaching Sydney-based NRL journalist Michael Chammas to be head of football for the new Papua New Guinea expansion franchise in 2028.
The appointment has raised eyebrows.
There is a view Chammas lacks the administrative experience to preside over a new NRL franchise in the Pacific, but V’landys backed the award-winning reporter.
Collingwood AFL kingpin Eddie McGuire has contacted V’landys backing his vision for PNG.
“Michael Chammas will be one of our best acquisitions to date,” he said.
“You will never satisfy the haters.
“Actually, one of the guys who contacted me over this was Eddie McGuire.
“He told me how he took over Collingwood at 33 years of age. He was seen as just a journalist and he turned that club around.
“He took over a broke organisation at the bottom of the ladder club with poor facilities and he was a media man.
“Michael has been in the NRL industry. He has got the contacts but more importantly he has the drive and ability.
“The presentation he did was outstanding – it was as good as anything I’ve seen. He is a young man of immense ability.”
V’landys has defended the decision to sign journalist Michael Chammas as head of football for the new Papua New Guinea expansion franchise
V’landys has defended the decision to sign journalist Michael Chammas as head of football for the new Papua New Guinea expansion franchise
Asked if super coach Wayne Bennett could support Chammas in a mentoring or consultancy role, V’landys said: “Look, Wayne is an extraordinary resource.
“He is on another level above everyone.
“If we can use Wayne, we will use him.
“If you have access to a Rolls Royce, why not drive it. Naturally Wayne is held in such high regard that other people want him, including Souths. It’s up to Wayne.
“If he wants to be involved with PNG, he will be involved, as simple as that.”

 
G

Gobsmacked

First Grade
Messages
5,650
Wb1234 said:
Rohan Kelly
PNG BOMBSHELL
The ARLC has made a bold decision by poaching Sydney-based NRL journalist Michael Chammas to be head of football for the new Papua New Guinea expansion franchise in 2028.
The appointment has raised eyebrows.
There is a view Chammas lacks the administrative experience to preside over a new NRL franchise in the Pacific, but V’landys backed the award-winning reporter.
Collingwood AFL kingpin Eddie McGuire has contacted V’landys backing his vision for PNG.
“Michael Chammas will be one of our best acquisitions to date,” he said.
“You will never satisfy the haters.
“Actually, one of the guys who contacted me over this was Eddie McGuire.
“He told me how he took over Collingwood at 33 years of age. He was seen as just a journalist and he turned that club around.
“He took over a broke organisation at the bottom of the ladder club with poor facilities and he was a media man.
“Michael has been in the NRL industry. He has got the contacts but more importantly he has the drive and ability.
“The presentation he did was outstanding – it was as good as anything I’ve seen. He is a young man of immense ability.”
V’landys has defended the decision to sign journalist Michael Chammas as head of football for the new Papua New Guinea expansion franchise
V’landys has defended the decision to sign journalist Michael Chammas as head of football for the new Papua New Guinea expansion franchise
Asked if super coach Wayne Bennett could support Chammas in a mentoring or consultancy role, V’landys said: “Look, Wayne is an extraordinary resource.
“He is on another level above everyone.
“If we can use Wayne, we will use him.
“If you have access to a Rolls Royce, why not drive it. Naturally Wayne is held in such high regard that other people want him, including Souths. It’s up to Wayne.
“If he wants to be involved with PNG, he will be involved, as simple as that.”

Click to expand...
That's a very big endorsement! I've been a fan of the appointment from the start but to just now learn of where Eddie came from and the similarities.. certainly boost my already high expectations.
 
steeden.

steeden.

Juniors
Messages
1,104
PVL on Hello Sport last night pretty much confirmed the 5 star resort - his words were "very close to finalising the deal". Went on to mention that they'll construct more units in time but if they're not ready the existing units are and they've already been set aside for PNG. Sounds promising!
 
SirPies&Beers

SirPies&Beers

Bench
Messages
3,129

Jason Demetriou declares interest in coaching PNG Chiefs as he eyes NRL return​

Jason Demetriou has declared he wants to be the man to lead Papua New Guinea in their bold new NRL era, insisting he’s a better coach for his tumultuous South Sydney experience.
February 17, 2026 - 5:00AM
News Sport Network

Jason Demetriou has revealed his interest in returning to the NRL to lead the Papua New Guinea revolution and insists he will be a better coach for his tumultuous South Sydney experience.

Demetriou sat down with this masthead ahead of Friday’s Broncos-Hull KR World Club Challenge clash to outline why PNG can be an NRL powerhouse — if the ARL Commission gets the Chiefs’ structures right from day one.

In November, Demetriou hopped back into the coaching furnace, this time in England with the London Broncos after answering an SOS from the British club’s new majority owner, Brisbane legend Darren Lockyer.

Demetriou is passionate about making London a force, but he is equally devoted to the PNG cause as Kumuls national coach, adamant the Australian government’s $600 million in the NRL’s 19th team can be a resounding success.

Demetriou’s London outfit helped Michael Maguire’s Broncos prepare for the WCC with an opposed session on Saturday, a hitout which provided a stimulus for ‘JD’ to one day return to the big league.
“For sure, I miss the NRL,” he said.

“I love the grind every week and the challenge of going up against some of the best teams in the world and the best players in the world.”

LONDON CALLING
Sacked by Souths in 2024, Demetriou returned to the general workforce when he received a call out of the blue from Lockyer, who purchased a majority stake in the London Broncos last September.

Now Demetriou finds himself back in England, where he first began coaching with Keighley 15 years ago, on a mission to orchestrate London’s fightback to Super League status.

“It’s a big challenge and I’m up for it,” Demetriou said.

“We’re trying to make London great in a city that we (rugby league) haven’t quite cracked before.

London Broncos coach Jason Demetriou speaks about his role at his new club, and the possibility of being apart of the PNG Chiefs as they begin in the NRL.

“I’m really excited by the challenge of making this city a rugby league heartland.

“I was just teaching at Westfields when I got a message from ‘Locky’ saying, ‘Can you give me a call?’ I had to have a quick rethink if I’d been bagging the Broncos on the radio, which I hadn’t been doing luckily.

“So I called him back. He wanted to gauge my interest about going over to England (to coach the Broncos).

“I flew up to Brisbane and met with Locky and his business partner Grant (Wechsel). I was blown away by their aspirations and what they want to do in terms of the ownership of this club, and I was pretty excited to become part of it.

“There’s a real energy about the London Broncos at the moment, we’re building a model that is sustainable into the future.”

PNG INTEREST
The Chiefs last month appointed Lorna McPherson as their inaugural CEO and journalist Michael Chammas is set to be unveiled as PNG’s foundation football boss.

Now the NRL’s 19th franchise faces the most critical appointment yet for their entry in 2028 _ hiring the head coach who will preside over the most ambitious expansion project in the code’s history.

While PNG-born Adrian Lam and former Eels mentor Brad Arthur have been touted as possible coaches, Demetriou shapes as the frontrunner given his links with the Kumuls national team.

Demetriou has inked a three-year deal with London, but Lockyer won’t stand in the way if the ARL Commission wants the 50-year-old to take charge of PNG.

Wayne Bennett’s former right-hand man at Brisbane and Souths confirmed his interest in the Chiefs job.

“If there’s an opportunity to be involved with PNG, then I’d love that. Yes for sure,” he said.

“I’m passionate about PNG and about the people of PNG and, more importantly, what rugby league can do for that country.

“I coach the Kumuls, so they know where my interest is, as does the London club.

“I’m focusing on what I can control at the moment and that’s here with London, but when the right opportunity comes down the track, I will look at it.”

NRL COMEBACK
Demetriou admits he has unfinished business in the NRL.

His stint at Souths sensationally unravelled. Succeeding Bennett, he delivered a preliminary final campaign in 2022, only to be sacked early in 2024 after one win from seven games. Demetriou battled the perception he let star duo Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker have too much power at Redfern.

Time has not only healed wounds, but fortified Demetriou, who is adamant he has the skill set to be a long-term NRL coach.

“That’s an aspiration — to get back into the NRL,” he said. “I’m not content with how I finished.

“I showed early on in my stint at Souths that I’ve got more to offer. Again, it’s about the right opportunity. It’s about finding the right club. I’m looking forward to doing what I need to do here at the Broncos and earning the right to get that shot again in the NRL.”

Asked what he learned from his Souths sacking, he said: “I think for me it was more about controlling what you can control and steering away from the things you can’t control.

“It’s not until you go through it where you take your real lessons. I’m without doubt a better coach for it. I’ve been fortunate in my career in the first 10 years of coaching to have a lot of success, you know, coaching finals nearly every year at every level and winning some premierships as well.

“So it was probably the first time that I’d hit that kind of hurdle. The NRL is brutal. It doesn’t miss you, but it hasn’t deterred me.

“I’m excited to get back on the horse.”

PACIFIC POWER
Demetriou has visited PNG and seen enough to know the nation can become a rugby league superpower.
“It’s scary how much potential there is in PNG,” he said.

“It’s a huge job (for the head coach).

“If the NRL gets the development right, in five or six years time every NRL club will be going to PNG to find talent.

They will be in the shop window.

“It’s untapped in all areas.

“If you look at New Zealand, once the Warriors came into the competition, that helped the quality of Kiwi talent.

“That will happen with PNG. Everyone says why don’t PNG guys get picked up from NRL teams … well no-one sees them because they aren’t playing in Australian competitions.

“I have brought a couple of PNG guys to the London Broncos and they are living on their own, adapting to a big city and doing it easy.

“If the NRL gets the development right, in five or six years time every NRL club will be going to PNG to find talent. They will be in the shop window.

“In five or 10 years time, there could be 50 legitimate, PNG-born players playing in the NRL.
“The coaching core is going to be massive. The NRL has to get the right people.”

DANGER ZONE
PNG has the second-worst crime rate in the world. Concerns have been raised for Australian players and their young families living in Port Moresby, but Demetriou insists the region is safe.

“I would move there, without a doubt,” he said.

“It wouldn’t affect me. I wouldn’t be too bothered about it.

“I walk the streets when I’m there and I think the players will be treated like royalty when they’re over there. Like any place, there’s areas of Sydney where I wouldn’t walk at night and that’s a factor everywhere.

“But I think the compound lifestyle and the way it’s been portrayed is probably a bit over the top. I haven’t felt unsafe any time I’ve been there, and my wife and my daughters have been over there with me.

“I’m passionate about PNG because their players have a real gratitude to get an opportunity and I see the impact on them and their families.

“It is authentic coaching at its best. You can see it’s not just about rugby league, it’s more than that and PNG is going to be a rare investment from the NRL that is going to have a huge impact across the community that will not be matched by any other NRL club.

“This will make a cultural difference. If the right people are in place for the right reasons, it’s a club that can have a massive impact on the NRL.”

www.codesports.com.au

No Cookies | CODE Sports

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www.codesports.com.au www.codesports.com.au
 
SirPies&Beers

SirPies&Beers

Bench
Messages
3,129
SirPies&Beers said:

Jason Demetriou declares interest in coaching PNG Chiefs as he eyes NRL return​

Jason Demetriou has declared he wants to be the man to lead Papua New Guinea in their bold new NRL era, insisting he’s a better coach for his tumultuous South Sydney experience.
February 17, 2026 - 5:00AM
News Sport Network

Jason Demetriou has revealed his interest in returning to the NRL to lead the Papua New Guinea revolution and insists he will be a better coach for his tumultuous South Sydney experience.

Demetriou sat down with this masthead ahead of Friday’s Broncos-Hull KR World Club Challenge clash to outline why PNG can be an NRL powerhouse — if the ARL Commission gets the Chiefs’ structures right from day one.

In November, Demetriou hopped back into the coaching furnace, this time in England with the London Broncos after answering an SOS from the British club’s new majority owner, Brisbane legend Darren Lockyer.

Demetriou is passionate about making London a force, but he is equally devoted to the PNG cause as Kumuls national coach, adamant the Australian government’s $600 million in the NRL’s 19th team can be a resounding success.

Demetriou’s London outfit helped Michael Maguire’s Broncos prepare for the WCC with an opposed session on Saturday, a hitout which provided a stimulus for ‘JD’ to one day return to the big league.
“For sure, I miss the NRL,” he said.

“I love the grind every week and the challenge of going up against some of the best teams in the world and the best players in the world.”

LONDON CALLING
Sacked by Souths in 2024, Demetriou returned to the general workforce when he received a call out of the blue from Lockyer, who purchased a majority stake in the London Broncos last September.

Now Demetriou finds himself back in England, where he first began coaching with Keighley 15 years ago, on a mission to orchestrate London’s fightback to Super League status.

“It’s a big challenge and I’m up for it,” Demetriou said.

“We’re trying to make London great in a city that we (rugby league) haven’t quite cracked before.

London Broncos coach Jason Demetriou speaks about his role at his new club, and the possibility of being apart of the PNG Chiefs as they begin in the NRL.

“I’m really excited by the challenge of making this city a rugby league heartland.

“I was just teaching at Westfields when I got a message from ‘Locky’ saying, ‘Can you give me a call?’ I had to have a quick rethink if I’d been bagging the Broncos on the radio, which I hadn’t been doing luckily.

“So I called him back. He wanted to gauge my interest about going over to England (to coach the Broncos).

“I flew up to Brisbane and met with Locky and his business partner Grant (Wechsel). I was blown away by their aspirations and what they want to do in terms of the ownership of this club, and I was pretty excited to become part of it.

“There’s a real energy about the London Broncos at the moment, we’re building a model that is sustainable into the future.”

PNG INTEREST
The Chiefs last month appointed Lorna McPherson as their inaugural CEO and journalist Michael Chammas is set to be unveiled as PNG’s foundation football boss.

Now the NRL’s 19th franchise faces the most critical appointment yet for their entry in 2028 _ hiring the head coach who will preside over the most ambitious expansion project in the code’s history.

While PNG-born Adrian Lam and former Eels mentor Brad Arthur have been touted as possible coaches, Demetriou shapes as the frontrunner given his links with the Kumuls national team.

Demetriou has inked a three-year deal with London, but Lockyer won’t stand in the way if the ARL Commission wants the 50-year-old to take charge of PNG.

Wayne Bennett’s former right-hand man at Brisbane and Souths confirmed his interest in the Chiefs job.

“If there’s an opportunity to be involved with PNG, then I’d love that. Yes for sure,” he said.

“I’m passionate about PNG and about the people of PNG and, more importantly, what rugby league can do for that country.

“I coach the Kumuls, so they know where my interest is, as does the London club.

“I’m focusing on what I can control at the moment and that’s here with London, but when the right opportunity comes down the track, I will look at it.”

NRL COMEBACK
Demetriou admits he has unfinished business in the NRL.

His stint at Souths sensationally unravelled. Succeeding Bennett, he delivered a preliminary final campaign in 2022, only to be sacked early in 2024 after one win from seven games. Demetriou battled the perception he let star duo Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker have too much power at Redfern.

Time has not only healed wounds, but fortified Demetriou, who is adamant he has the skill set to be a long-term NRL coach.

“That’s an aspiration — to get back into the NRL,” he said. “I’m not content with how I finished.

“I showed early on in my stint at Souths that I’ve got more to offer. Again, it’s about the right opportunity. It’s about finding the right club. I’m looking forward to doing what I need to do here at the Broncos and earning the right to get that shot again in the NRL.”

Asked what he learned from his Souths sacking, he said: “I think for me it was more about controlling what you can control and steering away from the things you can’t control.

“It’s not until you go through it where you take your real lessons. I’m without doubt a better coach for it. I’ve been fortunate in my career in the first 10 years of coaching to have a lot of success, you know, coaching finals nearly every year at every level and winning some premierships as well.

“So it was probably the first time that I’d hit that kind of hurdle. The NRL is brutal. It doesn’t miss you, but it hasn’t deterred me.

“I’m excited to get back on the horse.”

PACIFIC POWER
Demetriou has visited PNG and seen enough to know the nation can become a rugby league superpower.
“It’s scary how much potential there is in PNG,” he said.

“It’s a huge job (for the head coach).

“If the NRL gets the development right, in five or six years time every NRL club will be going to PNG to find talent.

They will be in the shop window.

“It’s untapped in all areas.

“If you look at New Zealand, once the Warriors came into the competition, that helped the quality of Kiwi talent.

“That will happen with PNG. Everyone says why don’t PNG guys get picked up from NRL teams … well no-one sees them because they aren’t playing in Australian competitions.

“I have brought a couple of PNG guys to the London Broncos and they are living on their own, adapting to a big city and doing it easy.

“If the NRL gets the development right, in five or six years time every NRL club will be going to PNG to find talent. They will be in the shop window.

“In five or 10 years time, there could be 50 legitimate, PNG-born players playing in the NRL.
“The coaching core is going to be massive. The NRL has to get the right people.”

DANGER ZONE
PNG has the second-worst crime rate in the world. Concerns have been raised for Australian players and their young families living in Port Moresby, but Demetriou insists the region is safe.

“I would move there, without a doubt,” he said.

“It wouldn’t affect me. I wouldn’t be too bothered about it.

“I walk the streets when I’m there and I think the players will be treated like royalty when they’re over there. Like any place, there’s areas of Sydney where I wouldn’t walk at night and that’s a factor everywhere.

“But I think the compound lifestyle and the way it’s been portrayed is probably a bit over the top. I haven’t felt unsafe any time I’ve been there, and my wife and my daughters have been over there with me.

“I’m passionate about PNG because their players have a real gratitude to get an opportunity and I see the impact on them and their families.

“It is authentic coaching at its best. You can see it’s not just about rugby league, it’s more than that and PNG is going to be a rare investment from the NRL that is going to have a huge impact across the community that will not be matched by any other NRL club.

“This will make a cultural difference. If the right people are in place for the right reasons, it’s a club that can have a massive impact on the NRL.”

www.codesports.com.au

No Cookies | CODE Sports

No Cookies | CODE Sports
www.codesports.com.au www.codesports.com.au
Click to expand...

www.postcourier.com.pg

Search for inaugural PNG Chiefs head coach narrows down

"There's a lot of good coaches out there; we'll work with the NRL to make sure we get the best coach," Chammas said. "There are a lot of guys who've got connections to the area. Jason Demetriou is currently the national coach, and Adrian Lam obviously is very well connected to the people of...
www.postcourier.com.pg
 
SirPies&Beers

SirPies&Beers

Bench
Messages
3,129
SirPies&Beers

SirPies&Beers

Bench
Messages
3,129
SirPies&Beers said:
www.zerotackle.com

"I miss the NRL": Jason Demetriou wants to take on a new NRL team

Jason Demetriou is currently the head coach of London Broncos.
www.zerotackle.com www.zerotackle.com
Click to expand...
Sen added that the Papua New Guinea Chiefs (PNG Chiefs) NRL team, set to debut in Australia’s premier rugby league competition in 2028, will provide another economic boost.

“The NRL accommodation and excellence facility has to be completed before pre-season training starts on 1 November 2027.”

 
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