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April 27, 2026 \u2014 7:45pm<\/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 In the decade former rugby league player Dave Maiden has been travelling to Papua New Guinea \u2013 the Australian neighbour where the federal government warns tourists to \u201cexercise caution\u201d when visiting \u2013 he remembers only one incident when he was nervous about his safety.<\/p>\n A bus of visiting players was close to cutting off another driver, leading to a tense confrontation with local motorists.<\/p>\n But then one of the men involved realised it was a Queensland Rugby League bus, and he had played alongside Maiden in the past. The situation was defused immediately.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reality is that with a [PNG] Chiefs shirt or a QRL shirt, it\u2019s like a suit of armour \u2013 nobody touches you,\u201d says Maiden, a former North Queensland Cowboys and Hull KR lock who now serves as the QRL competitions manager.<\/p>\n \u201cThey know if they touch you, if there\u2019s anything that happens to you, you jeopardise the whole rugby league program that brings NRL stars they see on TV.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re so passionate about rugby league … and they want to see the highest-level players come there more often.<\/p>\n \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t be blase about it because it is a third-world country and there are some desperate people there, but if you\u2019re smart about it, there\u2019s no reason why it wouldn\u2019t be incident-free.\u201d<\/p>\n Plans to assemble a squad for the Chiefs\u2019 2028 launch have begun under coach Willie Peters, following revelations Jarome Luai had visited Port Moresby<\/a> and met with club officials.<\/p>\n But the need to live in a compound \u2013 as well as welfare concerns, with PNG\u2019s crime rate the second-worst in the world \u2013 might sour the temptation for the game\u2019s best to move north.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cThey\u2019ve just got to embrace the culture and understand it\u2019s different,\u201d Maiden says. \u201cThere are a lot of Aussies and Pommies over in PNG, and they have a great lifestyle.<\/p>\n \u201cJust don\u2019t do stupid shit, and you\u2019ll be right. Don\u2019t go out by yourself at night-time and don\u2019t do stuff that you wouldn\u2019t do in Australia in an unknown place.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I was a young player, it\u2019s a great opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Inside the 12-year mission<\/p>\n While the Australian government\u2019s $600 million funding sealed the Chiefs\u2019 berth, the seeds were planted when the QRL and PNG Rugby Football League brought the Hunters into the Queensland Cup in 2014.<\/p>\n Before that, Marcus Bai had been the most prominent countryman to make the NRL ranks. The PNGRFL believed QCup would present pathways for more to follow his lead.<\/p>\n Feuds between tribes had presented challenges.<\/p>\n But as PNG lock Cooper Bai says, \u201cRugby league \u2026 it\u2019s probably the one thing that brings everyone together, even though there are a lot of dividing factors.\u201d<\/p>\n A Kokopo-based living compound was devised. Even players who lived nearby moved to eliminate \u201cdisharmony\u201d, and Maiden said rugby league became a \u201cmelting pot\u201d for breaking down tensions.<\/p>\n \u201cThey pulled them all in, made it tough, pulled them away from their family and influences, and said \u2018this is your family now\u2019,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cThey fed them, looked after them, trained them and put them through a fairly rigorous program. The feuds were forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n The Hunters won the competition in 2017, and now draw crowds of about 10,000 as the QRL supports the game\u2019s growth through participation, coaching, administration and operation training.<\/p>\n Maiden says that in 2021, 22 people in PNG held level two coaching certifications. That has since exploded.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cIt\u2019s a mindset. To them, picking somebody up and burying their head into the ground is absolutely cheered,\u201d Maiden says.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a very simple, one-out style of play over there. It\u2019s very masculine in that if you can dominate your opposition just by running over the top of them, you\u2019ve done your job, as opposed to some skill \u2013 which they have.<\/p>\n \u201cIf somebody doesn\u2019t impart the knowledge, that dies with you when you move on and everyone\u2019s starting from scratch again.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve played our part, but don\u2019t underestimate the fact they\u2019re very passionate about their own sport. They\u2019ve certainly got some very passionate and capable people in place there.\u201d<\/p>\n The promise of opportunity<\/p>\n How long the QRL remains actively involved with growing the PNG landscape remains unclear.<\/p>\n QRL chief executive Ben Ikin says the governance of the PNGRFL across all levels has come a long way since the two bodies began working together. But their Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade contract ends in December 2027.<\/p>\n Ikin believes a successful Chiefs side would \u201chave little correlation to the state of the game locally\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cSuccess at the NRL level will be wholly determined by the quality of staff and players you recruit from around the world, not just PNG,\u201d Ikin says.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I can say is, the more successful the Chiefs are, the bigger the social impact rugby league will make across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n While Chiefs boss Lorna McPherson says they hope to ensure a third of the Chiefs\u2019 squad is PNG talent,<\/a> Maiden says \u201cyou can\u2019t have an imported side\u201d. He says 60 per cent to 70 per cent of the team need to be PNG locals.<\/p>\n \u201cThey love visiting teams, they\u2019ll treat you like royalty, but they want to worship their own,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n If the Chiefs adhere to Maiden\u2019s formula, opportunity beckons for those yet to play NRL, such as 2025 Kumuls debutant Dudley Dotoi.<\/p>\n Homesickness plagued Dotoi\u2019s first NRL experience at Wests Tigers, but his arrival at the Townsville Blackhawks and a reality check by coach Terry Campese led to a breakout 2025 campaign.<\/p>\n Standout PNG players not in the NRL or with the HuntersMorea Morea (fullback, London Broncos); Off contract 2026Dudley Dotoi (wing, Townsville Blackhawks); UnsignedEdwin Ipape; (hooker, Leigh Leopards); Off contract 2031Rhyse Martin (lock, Hull KR); Off contract 2026Nixon Putt (second row, Central Queensland Capras); UnsignedLachlan Lam (halfback, Leigh Leopards); Off contract 2027Sylvester Namo (prop, Brisbane Tigers); UnsignedLiam Horne (prop, Leigh Leopards); Off contract 2028Jacob Alick (second row, Leigh Leopards); Off contract 2028Epel Kapinias (prop, London Broncos); Off contract 2026Nene Macdonald (wing\/centre, St Helens); Off contract 2027Gairo Voro (five-eighth, London Broncos); Off contract 2027Finley Glare (hooker, London Broncos); Off contract 2026Robert Mathias (centre, London Broncos); Off contract 2026Judah Rimbu (hooker\/five-eighth, Brisbane Tigers); Unsigned<\/p>\n The 22-year-old topped the QCup for tries (26) and linebreaks (36), and while he has fallen out of favour at the Blackhawks for the past month, dares to envision a Chiefs call-up.<\/p>\n \u201cWe knew on the field I could pretty much do anything \u2013 it was the off-field stuff that was my weakness,\u201d Dotoi says.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I get all the off-field stuff right, footy comes naturally.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m happy to go over and play for the Chiefs if I ever get the chance.\u201d<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Rugby](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/97217be0c0a8d3efb86471ffb65a88132fff2936.jpeg\")
Rugby league fans in Port Moresby.Getty<\/p>\n![\"Ben](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776847829_205_19558cc8d9b86c03a1fed693570210615e833c2f.jpeg\")
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The PNG Hunters celebrate their 2017 Queensland Cup triumph.Intrust Super Cup\/Twitter<\/p>\n![\"PNG](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3372563b402c9d04984e03a3547b5396ba462df1.jpeg\")
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Queensland Rugby League chief Ben Ikin.Getty<\/p>\n