Willie Peters to NRL noise grows with Hull KR man seen as ‘next cab off the rank’ 

After one NRL club’s slow start to the season, talks are once again circulating that Hull KR coach Willie Peters could be primed for a move back to Australia.

The Robins coach is widely viewed as an NRL coach in waiting and it appears that the massive defeat for Hull KR in Las Vegas, in front of many NRL eyes, has not put teams off.

Former Super League and NRL man James Graham has spoken about how concerning a start Manly Sea Eagles have made to the season, losing their opening two games and in poor fashion.

“It’s one of the poorest performances I’ve witnessed as a commentator,” Graham said of Manly’s defeat to Newcastle when speaking on his podcast, The Bye Round.

“I think that’s by far and away the worst performance of the round and the immediate reaction to 0-2 is you can’t take that game in isolation. We know (Anthony) Seibold and Manly as an organisation are under pressure coming into this season.

“You’re naive if you don’t think that Manly are picking up the phone to, more than likely, Willie Peters and sounding him out and gauging his interest in taking that job.”

Hull KR boss Willie Peters talked up to replace under-pressure NRL coach

North Queensland Cowboys’ Todd Payten is another man said to be under pressure, with Graham noting that it could become a battle between the Cowboys and Sea Eagles as to who lands the Hull KR coach.

He explained: “It’s almost a ‘who is going to pull the trigger first’. If Willie Peters is the next cab off the rank then it appears as though, and there is still time to change this, but it appears the writing is on the wall for  both of those football clubs for who will take charge from season 2027 and beyond.

“Because they’re both aware of that, they don’t want to miss their man, if Willie Peters is their man.”

Former Super League man Luke Keary agreed, describing the loss to Newcastle as ‘unexplainable’ before stating that Peters is the ‘obvious candidate’. He also claimed that if he were a Manly exec that he’d be rushing to sign Peters before the Hull KR man is potentially signed up for the England role.

Keary said: “I agree with you, Willie Peters is the obvious candidate…. You cannot tell me that those execs and boards are not making calls behind the scenes.

“I don’t think the trigger gets pulled too quickly but for a guy like Willie Peters who is coaching Hull KR and having his name thrown around for the England job then if I’m at a club, I want him in there now to start turning the culture.”