Demetriou to take charge of Kumuls

Former South Sydney mentor Jason Demetriou is set to take charge of Papua New Guinea's campaign for the 2026 World Cup after being appointed as the new Kumuls coach.

Demetriou replaces Sydney Roosters assistant Justin Holbrook, who coached the Kumuls during last year's Pacific Championship but will join the Kangaroos coaching staff under Mal Meninga for this year's tournament.

A number of candidates with NRL and Super League experience are believed to have been interviewed for the role and PNGRFL CEO, Stanley Hondina, was delighted to appoint a coach of Demetriou's standing.

“Being able to bring someone of the calibre of Jason Demetriou in to coach the Kumuls is fantastic news for the game in PNG," Hondina said.

“Jason has tremendous experience at NRL level and was an integral part of the North Queensland coaching staff that won the 2015 Premiership. 

“He will bring a great knowledge of the game and a winning mindset to the role, and we believe that he is the perfect fit for what we are looking to create with our national side.

“We are interested in building a long-term relationship with Jason leading up to the 2026 RLWC and have been in talks with Jason and are looking forward to finalising this soon.

“I know he is excited about the quality we have in our squad, and we believe that he will do an outstanding job in working with a talented group of players.”

The appointment comes at a great time for the game in PNG after the recent success of the NRL Bid Academy tournament that showcased the depth of exciting talent at schoolboy level and the continued development of players coming through the Academy system.

Papua New Guinea will host matches during the 2026 World Cup, which was recently awarded to the ARLC, with the Kumuls and Orchids expected to play their games at home.

The Kumuls won last year's Pacific Bowl and Demetriou said he was looking forward to taking charge of the squad, which includes the likes of Alex Johnston, Xavier Coates, Lachlan Lam, Justin Olam, Jack de Belin and Rhyse Martin.

“The game in PNG is going from strength to strength and it is a fantastic opportunity to work with such a talented squad," Demetriou said.

“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.”  

Demetriou brings with him an impressive coaching resume at NRL level.

After finishing his playing career in the UK, Demetriou returned to Australia in 2013 to coach in the Queensland Cup, before landing his first NRL role as assistant coach with the Cowboys.

Demetriou then joined the Dragons as an assistant coach in 2016, before linking up with Wayne Bennett at the Broncos the following season, where he oversaw the team’s attack.

After following Bennett to South Sydney in 2018, Demetriou succeed Bennett as head coach for the 2022 NRL season and had immediate success in his first year in charge, guiding the team to the preliminary final.

He parted ways with the Rabbitohs midway through this season and has been working in the media but will now put his energy into coaching the Kumuls.

PNG NRL Bid Chief Executive, Andrew Hill, welcomed Demetriou's appointment.

“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," Hill said.

“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.”