He was once dubbed the next Peter Sterling. It helped Willie Peters become his own man

Newly appointed PNG Chiefs head coach Willie Peters is drawing on the resilience forged during his playing days to lead the NRL startup club. Peters, who debuted for South Sydney in 1997 amid intense comparisons to Peter Sterling, recently visited Port Moresby for the first time since taking the role. He believes past challenges and successful coaching spells, including his tenure at Hull KR, prepared him to build the new franchise.

Peters accepted the position without having visited Papua New Guinea beforehand, attracted by the unique opportunity to build an entire roster and staff from scratch. He noted that the Chiefs environment will feature tight-knit communal living for players and families at the Airways resort, with Peters emphasizing non-negotiable effort, accountability, and strong relationships as core cultural pillars for the club.