Papua New Guinea’s quest to become part of the NRL has received a major boost with the appointment of Jason Demetriou as Head Coach of the PNG LNG Kumuls.
The news comes at a great time for the game in PNG after the recent success of the NRL Bid Academy tournament that showcased the depth of exciting talent at schoolboy level and the continued development of players coming through the Academy system.
Demetriou brings with him an impressive coaching resume at NRL level.
Having completed his playing career in the UK, Demetriou returned to Australia in 2013 to coach in the Queensland Cup, before landing his first NRL role as Assistant Coach with the North Queensland Cowboys, where he was able to savour immediate success with the side winning the 2015 NRL Premiership after defeating the Brisbane Broncos.
Demetriou then joined the St George Illawarra Dragons as an Assistant Coach in 2016, before linking up with Wayne Bennett at the Broncos the following season, where he oversaw the team’s attack.
After following Bennett to South Sydney in 2018, it was announced that Demetriou would succeed Bennett as Head Coach for the 2022 NRL season, and he was to have immediate success in his first year in charge, guiding the team to the Preliminary Final.
PNGRFL CEO, Stanley Hondina, was delighted at being able to secure the services of such a highly rated coach:
“Being able to bring someone of the calibre of Jason Demetriou in to coach the Kumuls is fantastic news for the game in PNG.
“Jason has tremendous experience at NRL level and was an integral part of the North Queensland coaching staff that won the 2015 Premiership.
“He will bring a great knowledge of the game and a winning mindset to the role, and we believe that he is the perfect fit for what we are looking to create with our national side.
“We are interested in building a long term relationship with Jason leading up to the 2026 RLWC and have been in talks with Jason and are looking forward to finalising this soon.
“I know he is excited about the quality we have in our squad, and we believe that he will do an outstanding job in working with a talented group of players.”
PNG NRL Bid Chief Executive, Andrew Hill, also saw the appointment as another positive step towards becoming part of the NRL:
“Having someone of Jason’s standing in the game take on the Kumuls Head Coaching role is another great step towards becoming part of the NRL.
“We have worked really hard to create the right pathways structure that will allow us to identify the best young talent and then develop those players so that when they reach the Kumuls they can benefit from the systems Jason will put in place.
“Everything we are doing is in preparation for becoming an NRL team and we believe Jason’s appointment is another really positive step towards that goal.”
Jason Demetriou expressed his excitement at taking on such an important role:
“The game in PNG is going from strength to strength and it is a fantastic opportunity to work with such a talented squad.
“I have watched the team with interest in recent years and they have a passion for the game that shows itself every time they pull on the Kumuls jersey and represent their country.
“I know that a tremendous amount of work is being done at school and academy level to help prepare the next generation of players and I’m incredibly excited to be able to work off the back of that with the senior team.
“It is a great time to be involved in the game in this country and I’m excited about what lies ahead.”
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