Willie Peters will leave Super League champions Hull KR at the end of the season to coach in his native Australia, with reports suggesting he will take charge of new franchise PNG Chiefs, who are set to join the NRL in 2028. Peters has revitalised Hull KR since taking charge in 2022, leading the club to unprecedented success. Last year, he won the treble with Hull KR, including a first Super League title since 1985, and by beating Wigan in the Super League Grand Final, Hull KR became only the fifth team to get their name on the trophy.
The club now holds all four major titles available to Super League clubs after beating Brisbane Broncos to win the World Club Challenge in February. This season, Hull KR are eighth in the Super League table after five games and face rivals Hull FC on Friday. In a statement, the club said Peters will leave with the very best wishes of everyone at Hull KR after four years of being the most successful coach in the club's modern history, taking them to the very pinnacle of the sport as world champions.
Peters expressed his gratitude, saying he wants to thank the board, players, and staff for their support during four wonderful years where he has developed as a coach and person. He added that he has made no secret of his desire to coach in the NRL as the next step of his career, but it makes this decision no less difficult. The exact date of his departure and which specific NRL team he will join remain unclear, as do the terms of his new contract and how Hull KR plans to replace him.