Former Newcastle Knights man Matty Johns believes Hull KR head coach Willie Peters could be the ideal candidate to take over from Adam O’Brien in the NRL.
The Knights are looking for a new head coach for the 2026 NRL season after agreeing to part ways with O’Brien at the end of what has been a miserable season. They sit second bottom of the league ladder at present having won just six games all year and they are currently on a seven-game losing streak.
As such, they will be looking to start fresh next year under a new head coach and a number of names have been mentioned. Former St Helens boss Justin Holbrook is thought to be one of the leading contenders, while ex-Super League half-back Blake Green is also in the running.
However, Johns is backing Peters for the job, with the Rovers man previously making it clear that he would like to coach in the NRL at some stage in the future. Peters has been with Hull KR since the start of the 2023 season and in that time he has managed to transform the Robins.
He led the club to their first major trophy in 40 years in June as they won the Challenge Cup and as it stands they are four points clear at the top of the league and favourites to go on and win the Grand Final.
Indeed, the job Peters has done at Craven Park has been phenomenal and Johns believes it might be the right time for him to return down under.
“I think Willie Peters has done an incredible job over at Hull Kingston Rovers,” he said on The Late Show with Matty Johns.
“Whether he wants to come back or not, I’m not sure. He’s got experience over there. He’s built that side. He’s been an assistant at Newcastle, he knows the town.”
Johns also spoke about Holbrook, who is currently working as an assistant at Sydney Roosters after spending three years in charge at Gold Coast Titans.
He added: “Justin had a lot of success at St Helens, won a title over there, had a win rate at 80 per cent and when you look back sometimes you’re in a better position to judge a job that a coach does in hindsight and when you look at what he was doing at the Titans you actually realise he was doing a good job.”
