{"id":892315,"date":"2026-09-15T01:26:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T01:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/892315\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T01:26:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T01:26:17","slug":"now-we-seem-to-be-the-villains-how-png-chiefs-are-building-a-squad-that-is-the-envy-of-other-nrl-clubs-png-chiefs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/892315\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Now we seem to be the villains\u2019: How PNG Chiefs are building a squad that is the envy of other NRL clubs | PNG Chiefs"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Brian To\u2019o ran away to score a try and seal victory for the Panthers in Sunday\u2019s qualification final against the Roosters, rugby league fans in Papua New Guinea had almost as much reason to celebrate as those from Penrith.<\/p>\n

The 28-year-old winger showed he was back to his best in a high-pressure clash between teams many predict will contest next month\u2019s grand final. Within two years, however, expansion club PNG Chiefs<\/a> \u2013 boasting To\u2019o and an all-star backline \u2013 hope to be in the same position after a recruiting spree that has drawn envy from other clubs.<\/p>\n

\u201cSix months ago, people weren\u2019t worrying about us, now we seem to be the villains,\u201d says the Chiefs chief executive, Lorna McPherson. \u201cAs they say, you\u2019re hated, you\u2019re adored, but you\u2019re never ignored.\u201d<\/p>\n

When a PNG-based NRL<\/a> club was conceived, many commentators doubted whether anyone would want to play for a team based in Port Moresby. Thanks to the work of McPherson and her staff \u2013 as well as tax breaks for Chiefs players \u2013 those claims have proven off the mark.<\/p>\n

To\u2019o was the sixth signing secured by McPherson, coach Willie Peters and general manager Michael Chammas, a former journalist. To\u2019o followed his close friend and inaugural signing Jarome Luai, winger Alex Johnston \u2013 holder of the NRL tryscoring record<\/a> and a Kumuls representative \u2013 former Blues utility Connor Watson, England prop Matty Lees and Zac Lomax, who will return from a stint in rugby union still in his prime.<\/p>\n

Joey Manu, the skilful former Rooster who returns to the NRL from French rugby, became the club\u2019s seventh signing three weeks ago. \u201cWe recruit within the rules,\u201d McPherson says. \u201cAnd we really work hard to build a roster that will be competitive with from day one.\u201d<\/p>\n

PNG Chiefs CEO Lorna McPherson. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi\/AAP<\/p>\n

The Chiefs could have already secured an eighth signing, Canberra\u2019s State of Origin backrower Hudson Young, but were held up by the NRL enforcing a rule that requires offers to players to reflect market value \u2013 before tax exemptions. It is a handbrake on the Chiefs\u2019 signing spree rival clubs have been calling for.<\/p>\n

McPherson declined to comment specifically on the Young situation, underscoring the sensitivity around the impact of a club which has become the NRL\u2019s new market maker. \u201cLet\u2019s play by the rules because that\u2019s who we are as an organisation,\u201d she says. \u201cI think that\u2019s what we\u2019re doing, so that\u2019s as much as I\u2019ll say on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Chiefs\u2019 operations and cost base looks different to every other NRL club. They cannot rely on their PNG-based fans to deliver the kind of revenues earned by the likes of the Broncos. The NRL\u2019s biggest club brought in $31m in membership, ticketing and game day revenue in 2025. The Chiefs\u2019 stadium seats just 15,000 (although upgrades are planned), a capacity less than half the Broncos\u2019 average home crowd. The club also wants to ensure tickets are affordable to those in Port Moresby, which has a minimum wage of approximately A$1.55 an hour, highlighting a potential income disparity.<\/p>\n

Affordability is also the basis for the club\u2019s approach to their official merchandise, which will come in multiple quality tiers starting at approximately $30 for fans in PNG. The club\u2019s logo and jersey will be unveiled next month. \u201cIt\u2019s about thinking about your market and creating the right experience for your customers,\u201d McPherson says. \u201cSo you hit that price point where they\u2019re able to actually be a fan and have that access to the merch as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

skip past newsletter promotion<\/a>Free newsletter |Fortnightly<\/p>\n

Sign up to The Hotspot<\/p>\n

A new fortnightly newsletter covering the intersection of sport and the climate crisis<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

New Zealander Joey Manu is the latest Chiefs recruit. Photograph: Romain Perrocheau\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

A comparative shortfall in game day and merchandise revenue will be made up elsewhere. The Chiefs will receive approximately half of the contentious $600m, 10-year grant from the Australian government for rugby league in the Pacific. McPherson believes commercial partners will help ensure the club can survive without another taxpayer handout, quoting $20m a year revenue from sponsors on the club\u2019s jersey, led by last week\u2019s announcement of principal partner Bank South Pacific. By comparison, the Broncos reported sponsorship revenue of $18m in 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe proof\u2019s in the pudding,\u201d the Scotland-born executive says, highlighting the club is already generating income before a ball has been kicked. \u201cWe want to prove the fact that we can be commercially viable, and I think so far, so good. Having the value of the jersey being what it is is superb.\u201d<\/p>\n

McPherson moved to PNG 17 years ago to work for Digicel, one of the country\u2019s largest telecommunications providers now owned by Telstra, a purchase facilitated by financing from the Australian government. She has become an advocate for a place some fear, her experience valuable to potential recruits on visits as she takes players to her favourite cafes and restaurants along Ela beach.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would not have brought my child here had it been somewhere that would have concerned me,\u201d she says, adding she drives herself around. \u201c[The players] have seen the PNG that I love and I have shown them everything that we do and how we live our life. So I think it was just about being frank and honest with everybody and showing them the real PNG, not what you look and read on Google, because that\u2019s not how any of us see it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As Brian To\u2019o ran away to score a try and seal victory for the Panthers in Sunday\u2019s qualification…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":892316,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":["post-892315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-nrl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/892315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=892315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/892315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/892316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=892315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=892315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=892315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}