![\"Christian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/635402f1698dc5687fb8f98be5c093fe76cbc56f.png\")
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March 30, 2026 \u2014 4:00pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Save this article for later<\/p>\n Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n Got it<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Inaugural PNG Chiefs coach Willie Peters<\/a> is eager to have a conversation with superstar Kangaroos trio Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo and Cameron Munster should they remain free agents by November 1.<\/p>\n Peters has also revealed he will call Wayne Bennett to seek advice on how to get the best out of an NRL start-up franchise, and says he dreams the Chiefs team will one day be comprised entirely of local players.<\/p>\n Speaking for the first time since being appointed as head coach of the NRL\u2019s newest franchise, Peters, 47, acknowledged one of the biggest questions surrounding the Chiefs ahead of their entry into the NRL in 2028 was which big-name star was at the top of their recruitment hit-list.<\/p>\n Penrith co-captains Yeo and Cleary and Storm and Queensland playmaker Munster are all off contract at the end of 2027 and are possible marquee players the Chiefs could build their franchise around.<\/p>\n \u201cI have to be mindful not to talk too much around recruitment now that they are contracted to other clubs,\u201d Peters said on Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cI spent time with them [Yeo and Cleary] in the Ashes with the Kangaroos, and they were exceptional. I don\u2019t want to talk specifically about those two players, but more in general around the mentality of the players we want. We want guys always seeking to be a better player, and to want to be a leader and those type of things.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the right time, if players want to talk to the Chiefs, then I\u2019m sure [football manager] Michael Chammas will be on the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n Pressed on chasing a player like Munster, Peters said: \u201cI spent time with Cam in the Kangaroos. He\u2019s a character. [But again] I\u2019m mindful of what I can and can\u2019t say.<\/p>\n \u201cFor any player, they need to want to talk to us. They will be bringing their family over and that\u2019s what we need \u2013 players who embrace this unique opportunity. We\u2019re well aware of the calibre of players who are free to talk on November 1, but we can\u2019t speculate yet.\u201d<\/p>\n The Chiefs will have the advantage of heavy tax concessions when it comes to recruitment. But Peters said players would not get the most out of the experience if they moved to PNG purely for the money.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we are getting people over for the wrong reasons, they won\u2019t enjoy themselves, and it will be tough going because it\u2019s a different environment,\u201d Peters said.<\/p>\n \u201cI lived on the Sunshine Coast when I was in the bubble [with the Knights during COVID], and there were a few teams up there. I admired the way Penrith went about their business in terms of their connection. They were the most connected team in that bubble \u2013 and they won the competition that year.<\/p>\n \u201cI value connection and care, two strong values that I hold high in terms of what I\u2019m looking for in players and people involved.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you won\u2019t be all-in in terms of going over for the right reasons, that\u2019s up to us to look at all that before making the final decision.<\/p>\n \u201cIf they come for the right reasons \u2026 we\u2019ll have the time of our lives. It will be a memory for life, and that\u2019s what I aim to create.\u201d<\/p>\n PNG Chiefs coach Willie Peters<\/p>\n \u201cAs I said, if people come over for the wrong reasons, it won\u2019t be an enjoyable experience. But if they come for the right reasons, and they want to help impact the country in a positive way \u2013 and have a successful footy team \u2013 we\u2019ll have the time of our lives. It will be a memory for life, and that\u2019s what I aim to create.\u201d<\/p>\n Peters will try to steer Hull KR to a second successive Super League title this year before returning home to spend time in Sydney and PNG preparing for the Chiefs\u2019 2028 arrival. Chammas has already been on the ground working, while the club have also signed Liam Ayoub from Canterbury as their recruitment chief.<\/p>\n![\"Nathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3c74365df2c918bf4b1e50f06d4583079f5baffc.jpeg\")
Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo celebrate after winning the Ashes in England last year.CameraSport via Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Willie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/b1a60b471cfa33b13b61fc1d7671611ed3dcb3aa8527f126d4d713c9479c7558.jpeg\")
Willie Peters celebrates Super League premiership success.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Willie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/af865fad3cd8cd7aaf1f5a6daa9c6c7afedfc8c3.jpeg\")
Willie Peters worked with Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters \u2013 and a few potential Chiefs targets \u2013 during the 2025 Ashes tour of England.NRL Imagery<\/p>\n
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