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

Willie Peters has taken on his first NRL head coaching role with the newly established PNG Chiefs in Port Moresby. Reflecting on his early playing days when he was heavily hyped as the next Peter Sterling at South Sydney, the 47-year-old explained how handling intense early expectations and adversity built the resilience required for senior coaching following a successful coaching stint at Hull KR.

After visiting Papua New Guinea for the first time since his appointment, Peters expressed confidence in building the start-up club's roster and staff from scratch. The Chiefs plan to house players and families together at the Airways resort, with Peters emphasizing high-effort standards, relationship-building, and creating a focused, distraction-free environment for the squad.