In two years time, a group of players will become the founding members of the PNG Chiefs – but who will be that side’s first-ever coach has still yet to be determined.
The club has slowly begun moving to appoint personnel in key roles at the Chiefs, with former journalist Michael Chammas joining as the general manager of football.
Several big name coaches have been floated to be in contention to land the top job at the new expansion team, while others have ruled themselves out of accepting that role.
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Former Parramatta coach Brad Arthur has been named as a top contender for the job, having yet to ink an extension as head coach of Super League team, the Leeds Rhinos.
He has previously declared that he has “unfinished business” in the NRL, although when asked if he was in contention for the PNG gig, he was in no mood to reply.
Brad Arthur, head coach of Leeds Rhinos, speaks to Sky Sports. Getty
“There’s nothing talk about at the moment,” he said prior to Leeds’ game against Hull FC.
“Every time there’s a job, someone writes my name in there. It doesn’t mean I am in for those jobs.”
Andrew Johns admitted that he feels Arthur would be a “front-runner” for the job along with Hull KR coach Willie Peters, who is on the radar to become England’s head coach.
But Johns was unsure if PNG would be the best fit for Peters to join the NRL.
“Willie Peters, to have his first job in the NRL be in PNG … it would be a difficult one,” he said on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.
“But without a doubt, Willie Peters will be a coach in the NRL.”
Hull KR head coach Willie Peters with the trophy. PA Images via Getty Images
Billy Slater urged the club to learn from the success of the Dolphins and the Bears.
“You look at the last two franchises that have come in, they’ve had powerful figures to head their coaching staff – Mal Meninga in Perth and Wayne Bennett with the Dolphins,” he said.
“I think they need a figure that is much more than a coach.”
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Johns and Brad Fittler agreed with Slater.
“They are going to live in some sort of compound,” Johns said.
“You are going to be a father figure of some sort as well … there is much more (than just coaching a footy team).
Fittler added: “You have to bring the energy, and the one think I do like about Willie Peters is that he has great energy.
“He went over the Hull KR and he totally turned them around. It is not on the level of an NRL team but he still turned a team around.”
But away from the two top candidates – as well as PNG’s international coach Jason Demetriou – there was one name Johns wants to see in the mix.
Leigh Leopards manager Adrian Lam. PA Images via Getty Images
“I think Adrian Lam would be absolutely ideal,” he said.
“He’s an absolute hero in Papua New Guinea.”
Fittler agreed, saying: “He should be in the conversation, without a doubt.”
The PNG Chiefs will join the NRL in 2028.