The PNG Chiefs are reportedly plotting the ultimate recruitment raid, targeting Nathan Cleary and Sam Walker before their historic 2028 NRL arrival.
According to News.com.au, the expansion club is confident it can secure one of the competition’s premier halfbacks to partner inaugural signing Jarome Luai.
Speaking on SEN, Matty Johns revealed the Chiefs believed they could prise either Cleary from Penrith or Walker from the Sydney Roosters.
“I think with Sam it’s either gonna be the Roosters or it’s gonna be PNG,” Johns said.
“The money is crazy.
“Apparently, they’re very confident. My mail is they’re confident that they’ll get either Cleary or Walker. That’s what they’re talking.”
No formal offer to either player has been publicly confirmed. However, the timing makes PNG’s reported interest considerably more than an ambitious fantasy.
Cleary and Walker are both contracted until the end of 2027, meaning they can negotiate with rival clubs for the 2028 season from November 1 this year.
That is precisely when the Chiefs will be preparing for their first NRL campaign.
Cleary Would Be PNG’s Ultimate Signing
Cleary would instantly become the face of the new franchise and reunite with Luai, with whom he won four consecutive premierships at Penrith.
The Chiefs have also reportedly secured Panthers winger Brian To’o for 2028, potentially recreating a significant part of Penrith’s championship core in Port Moresby.
Cleary has never tested his value on the open market and admitted earlier this season that his approaching contract decision was unfamiliar territory.
“It’s a process that’s pretty foreign to me, I’ve never done it,” Cleary said in March.
The halfback has repeatedly spoken about his love for Penrith, and in 2022 declared: “I couldn’t picture myself anywhere else.”
However, the circumstances surrounding his next contract are substantially different.
Ivan Cleary will leave his position as Panthers coach after the 2027 season, with Peter Wallace appointed as his successor. Nathan has maintained that his father’s departure will not determine his future, while Penrith believes Wallace’s appointment strengthens its chances of retaining him.
Even so, PNG could offer Cleary a new challenge after he has already achieved virtually everything possible with the Panthers.
Walker Is the More Realistic Target
Cleary may be the dream signing, but Walker appears to be the player most vulnerable to a PNG raid.
Negotiations between Walker and the Roosters have reportedly stalled after the playmaker rejected a four-year extension. The precise figures have varied between reports, although the club’s offer has been placed at approximately $5 million to $5.6 million.
Walker is reportedly seeking a deal closer to $1.7 million per season.
The Roosters still have time to reach an agreement, and Walker is understood to prefer remaining at the club. But allowing one of the NRL’s best young halfbacks to reach November 1 would invite an enormous offer from PNG.
The Chiefs’ reported tax advantages could deliver players substantially greater take-home earnings without requiring the club to receive additional salary-cap space.
Billy Slater previously explained why that could make PNG especially dangerous in negotiations.
“The PNG one is tax-free money,” Slater said.
“So if you’re thinking about your top-line player like a Nathan Cleary, he’s probably demanding 15 per cent of the salary cap, which is $2.25 million.
“Now, if you take that tax-free, that’s equivalent to $4.5 million somewhere else.”
Those figures were Slater’s estimate rather than a confirmed PNG proposal, but they demonstrate the financial power available to the expansion club.
The Chiefs Are Already Building a Serious Roster
PNG has already officially signed Luai, Alex Johnston, Connor Watson, England prop Matty Lees and Zac Lomax, while To’o’s reported agreement would take its recruitment drive to another level.
Luai has been signed through 2029 with an option for 2030, giving the Chiefs the experienced five-eighth around whom their inaugural spine can be built.
Adding Cleary would recreate the NRL’s most successful halves partnership of the modern era. Signing Walker would give the club a younger playmaker capable of becoming its long-term attacking leader.
Either move would also deliver a devastating blow to one of the competition’s powerhouse clubs.
Cleary remains more likely to stay at Penrith than leave, particularly given his history and deep connection with the Panthers. Walker’s unresolved negotiations make him the more attainable target.
But PNG does not need to sign both players to shake the competition. It only needs to convince one of them that making history is worth leaving home.
If the Panthers and Roosters have not secured their superstar halfbacks before November 1, the Chiefs will finally have their opportunity to turn this extraordinary recruitment threat into reality.
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