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Watson: Chiefs "back page" news in PNG as NRL inclusion nears
Sam Kosack •  December 31st, 2025 3:30 pm
Sydney Roosters’ star Connor Watson has lifted the lid on the excitement in Papua New Guinea surrounding the PNG Chiefs after returning from a grueling Kokoda bonding experience with his teammates.
Watson, and 15 other Roosters’ players and staff, recently returned from completing the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea, a 96km trek through harsh Papua New Guinean terrain.
The journey served as a bonding experience for Trent Robinson and his players and staff but also allowed the team to meet and work alongside PNG locals, all of whom are eagerly awaiting the introduction of the Chiefs in 2028.
Rugby league is the national sport of PNG, and while safety and recruitment concerns dominate the headlines around the team in Australia and New Zealand, there are no such concerns amongst the locals.
“We definitely did (discuss the PNG Chiefs),” Watson told SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“When we got over there… we ran into some of the guys from the (PNG) Hunters and in chatting to them about it, there's a big buzz around it.
“Every day the back page was a big headline about who's going to coach PNG or what player they're getting and stuff.
“Even on the track, we got to know the porters pretty well, the guys that we walked with, and just talking to them about it, they're all so excited.
“They're so rugby league mad.
“I've never been over there before… and to see a country where rugby league's the major sport, and just their reaction to it, it's awesome.
“It's going to be obviously a challenge being a different country, but I think the passion of the Papua New Guineans, if you're playing for them, you wouldn't want to let them down.”
Watson also revealed the impact the Kokoda trek had had on the crew that went over, opening up about how it brought them together, and will ultimately make them stronger in 2026.
Players on the trek included Watson, Daly Cherry-Evans, James Tedesco, and Naufahu Whyte amongst others, while both Trent Robinson and director of rugby league Mitch Aubusson completed the trail.
“Although you're walking in a big group, you're only really walking with the guy in front of you and behind you, because everyone's just in a single line.
“Every time we had a break, you'd want to walk in a different spot to mix it up, just with the crews that you sort of walked with.
“It's like, how often do you get to spend an hour with every single one of your teammates that's over there and talk about a range of different stuff.
“Early days were pretty top line conversations around top five lists of foods… and then it started to get a bit deeper towards the end of it, talking about family, footy, what makes people tick.
“It's definitely going to bond us… there were a couple of staff as well… for that 16 people that went over there, the important thing for us is how we include the rest of the squad in that because it's also important.
“I think with them potentially going next year, that'll sort of be the chat around it.”
The Roosters open their season against the Warriors in Auckland on March 6.
