PAPUA NEW GUINEA have appointed Jason Demetriou as their new head coach, with Justin Holbrook stepping down after only a year in charge.
Former St Helens coach Holbrook joined the Kumuls last August and led them to victory in the Pacific Bowl (the second tier of the Pacific Championships), beating Fiji in the final.
But he has now swapped being at the helm of the seventh-ranked men’s nation to join Mal Meninga’s Australia as an assistant coach.
Holbrook in part replaces Leigh coach Adrian Lam, who is stepping down from his role with the world champion Kangaroos alongside fellow long-time assistant Michael Hagan.
These moves presented the opening for Demetriou to move into international coaching, following his dismissal from South Sydney in April after more than two years in charge of the NRL club.
Demetriou is also a former coach of Keighley, having spent his entire playing career in England with Rochdale, Widnes, Wakefield and the Cougars.
He has been frequently linked with a return to Super League as a head coach, including for the currently vacant position at Huddersfield.
The 48-year-old has signed a contract through the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted in Australia but with some matches played in Papua New Guinea.
With the Kumuls already qualified for that tournament as a quarter-finalist in 2022 (when they were knocked out by England), his first job will be in this Autumn’s Pacific Bowl when they will defend their title against Cook Islands and Fiji.
“The game in PNG is going from strength to strength and it is a fantastic opportunity to work with such a talented squad,” said Demetriou.
“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.”
Papua New Guinea are pushing to have a club side admitted to the NRL and Demetriou’s appointment has that goal in mind, according to the chief executive of their bid, Andrew Hill.
“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,” said Hill.
“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.”
Click here to get the digital edition of League Express
Click here to subscribe to the print edition of League Express
League Express is also widely available from local newsagents across the north of England.
