The PNG Chiefs made their historic first signing with West Tigers star Jarome Luai, and recent reports have indicated the club will make Alex Johnston their second official signing.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs winger is the first Papua New Guinea player to sign with the club, and he won't be the only one the Chiefs have their sights on.
Speaking to NRL.com, the Chiefs GM Michael Chammas revealed his goal to recruit players with strong ties to Papua New Guinea, whether they have played for the international side or have strong ties to the country.
"We've identified the Papua New Guinean players that we'd love to have in there, and there's obviously 18 months before they get together, so there's no doubt that this team is going to have a strong contingent of Papua New Guinean players," Chammas revealed.
Luai signed with the Chiefs, and the announcement came last Wednesday, as he had a clause in his contract that allowed him to entertain rival offers.
The option he had with the Tigers could be activated until April 30.
In terms of the players with PNG heritage, the club is expected to target players that are likely to play in the Kumuls World Cup side, which includes Cooper Bai, Zac Laybutt, Edwin Ipape, Morea Morea and young playmakers with a lot of potential in Finlay Glare and Gairo Voro.
Phillip Coates, the younger brother of Xavier, is expected to be on the Chiefs' hit list as well.
"This team will be sustainable through the development programs that we build, and we have been building through Joey Grima and others in PNG around the young kids," Chammas said.
"What we want is for guys like Jarome to teach the young Papua New Guinean boys what it is to be successful, what it is to be a professional, to be disciplined and the sacrifices you have to make.
"That's what Jarome will instil in others, and that's what other players that we bring have to instil into the young PNG boys, who might not understand right now what it takes to be successful, what it takes to be an NRL player.
"They will instil that in them, and those young guys will then go back, and they will teach the next generation. Over the next 10 years, you'll see the number of PNG players will grow year on year."
There are questions surrounding security and the safety of the players and their families, but the former journalist assured that the players will be loved in Papua New Guinea, will give the locals hope, something to cheer for and that the players can make a lot of difference.
"He [Luai] walked past the classroom, and these little girls just sort of looked, and when they realised who it was, they just started screaming," Chammas said.
"The happiness that he will bring to people and the joy he will bring to their lives, he felt that first hand.
"I'm sure that players get recognised everywhere they go, but here it's different. I liken it to what the Indian cricketers must go through back in India.
"Everyone talks about the security issues, but for me, it's not about their safety; it's probably about their privacy because your life changes forever.
"You walk down the street, and you'll be swarmed. You go for a drive, and you will be swarmed. Not because you should be worried, but because they love you. And I think Jarome felt the love."
The Kumuls international side will play in the Rugby League World 2026, first competing against Lebanon and Samoa in Port Moresby before heading to Wollongong to play England.
