The PNG coaching job has been narrowed down to three candidates – former NRL coaches Jason Demetriou and Brad Arthur and Hull KR’s World Club Championship-winning coach Willie Peters.
Demetriou, who coaches the PNG national team and currently has several Kumul stars in his London Broncos team, is slight favourite at this stage.
But all three have solid claims – Arthur had a solid track record at Parramatta and is doing good things at Leeds while Peters, a former Souths halfback, has turned Hull KR into the best team in the Super League.
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The choice will actually be made by the NRL – but the governing body will consult PNG authorities before the final decision.
Brad Arthur during his time as Eels coach. Getty
Another Panthers premiership winner on Bears’ hit list
Luke Garner is the latest member of the Panthers’ premiership-winning dynasty who could be lost to the club.
The 30-year-old back-rower – who played in the last two of Penrith’s four straight grand final wins – is off contract at the end of the season and attracting offers from rival clubs.
The Panthers want to keep Garner, a fine ball-running edge forward and reliable defender, but have salary cap pressure.
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They also have several promising young forwards coming through who they want to extend and upgrade.
The Perth Bears are believed to be keen on Garner, whose big-game experience would be invaluable in the club’s maiden season in 2027.
Garner has been an NRL regular since 2018, playing the first five seasons of his career at the Tigers.
He switched to Penrith in 2023, achieving the rare feat of going from wooden spooner to premiership winner in the space of 12 months.
Luke Garner runs at Ezra Mam. NRL Imagery
The ‘unsung hero’ of Knights’ storming of Brookvale
New attacking coach Steven Hales was the unsung hero of the Knights’ brave win over Manly on Sunday.
Hales served the same role at the Sea Eagles in recent seasons before changing camps over the summer and knew the strengths and weaknesses of the home team in and out.
Head coach Justin Holbrook relied heavily on Hales’ knowledge as he constructed his game plan during the week – and the Knights promptly picked the Manly team apart to record a memorable win despite losing marquee men Kalyn Ponga and Dylan Brown in the first half.
Holbrook knew the Knights needed a fresh look after several dismal seasons and brought in an entirely new support staff of former Blues Origin prop Brett White, Hales and club legend Danny Buderus.
The result has been a hard reset of the club, with the Knights sitting in equal top spot on the ladder after two rounds and looking good.
Irish hierarchy’s World Cup mission
Ireland have missed out on this year’s World Cup – mainly because they refused to pick any Australian players.
Irish authorities took the drastic step after several NRL players criticised the team’s set-up in the last World Cup.
So the team was only picked from players based in Europe – and consequently bombed out.
But a new Irish hierarchy is attempting to change the qualification to include NRL players – there are at least 20 who would be eligible for the grandparents rule.
That would give the Irish a much better chance of qualifying for the next World Cup, expected to be held in 2030 in the USA.