Connor Watson joins PNG Chiefs, Matty Lees signs with PNG Chiefs, Ivan Cleary shuts down State of Origin debate surrounding Nathan, latest news

The Chiefs have landed their fourth signing as they continue to build their inaugural roster, with English international Matty Lees joining the PNG franchise.

Earlier today it was announced utility Connor Watson had signed a two-year deal, and now Lees joins him by signing on for the 2028 season.

The 28-year-old joined St Helens as a 16-year-old, going on to make his Super League debut at only 18 before playing 199 games for the Saints.

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In a statement, Lees said the allure of making a move to PNG was too good to refuse.

“Sometimes in life, when an opportunity comes, you have to take it on,” Lees said.

“Playing in the NRL has been a dream of mine for a very long time, and the opportunity that has been presented to my family and me is one that I could not turn away from.

“The last 10 years playing for this club have meant absolutely everything to me. This club is family. It has seen me grow from a young lad coming through the Academy, making my way into the first team, to having the honour of being named captain.”

During his time at St Helens, Lees has won Super League titles, the Challenge Cup and the World Club Challenge and was a welcome addition to the Chiefs squad according to general manager Michael Chammas.

“Matty Lees is one of the toughest and most respected forwards in rugby league. He’s built his career through hard work, consistency and an uncompromising approach to the game,” Chammas said.

“Those qualities are exactly what we’re looking for as we build our roster and culture for 2028.

“We’re delighted to secure Matty as Player 004 and look forward to seeing the impact he’ll have both on and off the field.”

WATSON MAKES CALL ON NRL FUTURE

The PNG Chiefs have confirmed the signing of hooker Connor Watson, who has penned a two-deal deal with the expansion side.

The 30-year-old, who has represented New South Wales in five State of Origin games, will join the NRL’s 19th club ahead of the 2028 season. However, he will not remain at the Sydney Roosters next season, with the Dragons securing his signature on a one-year deal.

On Tuesday, the Roosters confirmed that Watson had been granted an early release from the final year of his contract following a request from his management, allowing him to join the Dragons in 2027.

“Watson will remain with the Roosters for the remainder of the 2026 season and will continue to play an important role within the Club’s NRL squad,” the Roosters said in a statement.

Watson has scored 34 tries in 177 NRL games for the Roosters and Newcastle Knights since his first-grade debut in 2016.

“Connor has made it clear from the outset that he wanted to be part of the PNG Chiefs and this incredible journey we are building,” PNG Chiefs General Manager Football Michael Chammas said in a statement.

“He and his partner Kiana recently spent time in Port Moresby and genuinely fell in love with the country, the people and the opportunity to be part of something much bigger than football.

“Connor is the type of player every club wants. He is selfless, tough, professional and incredibly respected across the game. His versatility and experience will be invaluable for us as we continue building our squad towards 2028.

“Every signing matters for a new club, but there is something exciting about seeing the roster continue to build piece by piece. Connor becoming Signing 003 is another important moment in the journey of the PNG Chiefs.

“We also want to thank the Sydney Roosters for their professionalism, patience and understanding throughout this process.”

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The PNG Chiefs have already announced the signing of Rabbitohs winger Alex Johnston and Wests Tigers playmaker Jarome Luai.

“What impressed us most, beyond Connor’s football ability, was his sense of purpose and the way he treats people,” PNG Chiefs CEO Lorna McPherson said in a statement.

“He leads with kindness, he listens, and he brings a calm strength into every environment he enters. We wanted people who would genuinely feel at home in Papua New Guinea, and people Papua New Guinea would feel proud to welcome.

“Connor immediately connected with the country and our vision for what this club can become. We know he will have a significant impact both on and off the field as we build towards 2028.

“You can feel the excitement continuing to build around the club now. With every signing, the vision becomes more real for our fans, our partners and for Papua New Guinea.”

‘DID HE?’: IVAN SHUTS DOWN BIG NATHAN DEBATE

Panthers coach Ivan Cleary isn’t buying into the debate about his son “dominating” State of Origin, with Nathan set to be joined by Isaah Yeo and Brian To’o as the big guns return for Penrith’s grudge match with the Wests Tigers.

Origin has always been seen as the final frontier for Nathan Cleary, who has dominated the NRL with four premierships and two Clive Churchill Medals.

He has been the best player in the best team of the NRL era, but that form hasn’t always carried over to rep sides where he now boasts a 50 per cent winning record for the Blues after his brilliant second half in last week’s series opener.

The NSW halfback scored a try, nailed a 40/20 and set up two tries off kicks, including James Tedesco’s in the final two minutes that Cleary duly converted to seal the famous 22-20 victory.

His father proudly watched on from the stands at Accor Stadium and isn’t overly concerned about whether his son has finally ended the Origin debate after he claimed his third man-of-the-match award.

“I’ve always seen him do that. He’s learnt a lot over the years and has had some really good games and has had some other games where he feels like he could do better,” Ivan said.

“I don’t even know what dominating Origin is because we’ve never seen anyone do it.

“Even Wally Lewis back in the day, he’s probably the only one who really (went close) but did he? I don’t know.

“I’m just so proud of him (Nathan) that he’s in there for a start and that he prepares as hard as he can and plays as hard as he can.

“He did well last week, but it’ll all be on again in a couple of weeks.”

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Cleary missed Sunday’s epic win over the Warriors, but he will return on Sunday alongside a couple of his NSW teammates after they were rested.

While they didn’t play, Liam Martin returned from a knee injury for his first game since round 6 that has him in the mix for an Origin recall to add to his 15 appearances in blue.

Martin had a quiet first stint on the right edge but returned in the middle where he provided plenty against the Warriors.

“I’m not sure,” his coach replied when asked if he should be picked for Origin II at the MCG on June 17, with starting back-rowers Hudson Young and Haumole Olakau’atu unlikely to be dropped.

“He’s obviously been there a lot and understands that arena, but it’s hard to say based on what he’s just done.

“I’m sure he wouldn’t let anyone down.

“It’s been a real stop-start year for him, so I think he’s just happy to get back out there. I thought the second stint where he came back on, he was looking pretty free, so he’ll only get better.”

Meanwhile, Cleary is looking forward to Sunday’s clash against the Tigers who returned to winning ways with stars like Api Koroisau and Jahream Bula back on deck.

“They’ve definitely improved throughout the year,” Cleary said of the team he coached for two seasons.

“They’re a high-energy team who look pretty connected. When they’ve got it going, they’re a real handful, so it should be a really good game.”

STORM SOUND WARNING TO REST OF NRL

The Storm are six points outside the top eight and has already conceded more points in the opening 13 rounds than it has in entire seasons, but veteran prop Josh King says “the possibilities are endless” for his team as they mount a mid-year charge towards the finals.

People write off the back-to-back beaten grand finalists after a record seven-game losing streak earlier in the season, with Melbourne struggling with injuries and the new rules.

The 50-10 loss to Penrith in round 5 theoretically ended their premiership hopes given no team has conceded 50 and won the title in Australia’s first grade history.

But they’ve slowly turned the tide with three wins from their past four games, with a huge match at home this Friday against the Knights where a win would give them a massive push towards eighth spot ahead of their first bye of the year next week.

“I have so much belief in this team, and the possibilities are endless,” King said, with the rest of the NRL hoping they don’t make the top eight.

“The season isn’t written off by any means. The ladder is quite tight and you don’t really see it sort of sitting on place until after this Origin period.

“Some teams have had two byes, but we haven’t had a bye yet, so we’ll certainly keep on fighting each week.

“If that ends with us in the top eight at the end of the year, then we’ll take everything we can get.”

Finals aren’t on the radar for the Storm who are more focused on getting back to the footy that made them the most dominant team of the past two decades.

Cameron Munster is getting back to his best form, while local junior Sua Fa’alogo has carried the team in attack and was best on ground against the Roosters last week.

“I don’t think there’s a point in worrying about the end result at the minute; the destination is where we’re trying to get to,” King said, pointing to a round 9 loss against the Dolphins as the turning point in their season.

“I think at the moment for us, it’s about each week at a time and really making sure we’re building on our performances and every week we can be proud of our performance.

“I reckon it’s not that we’re trying any harder or I think we’ve explored different things, but rugby league, there are so many different things that happen in a game and you tend to put your focus in different areas.

“And I think the Dolphins game, we started putting our focus back in some areas that we were doing last year and probably didn’t realise that we’d fallen away in a little bit.

“And in that game, even though we lost, we put in what was probably one of our better performances for the year.

“And then again on the back of that, we revisited a few other things that really worked for us last year. And since then, I think we’ve been a really competitive side.”

The losing streak was foreign territory for everyone at the club, but the past month suggests they could be about to do something special as they try to qualify for the finals after a shocking 2-7 start.

They only have to look at the Panthers who were 3-1-7 last year and almost made the grand final, while the 1999 Broncos won one of their first 10 matches but recovered to finish eighth.

“Yeah, we lost seven in a row, but the biggest thing for us was trying to not panic and have doubt and to then maintain belief in the playing group with the way we wanted to play,” winger Will Warbrick said.

“There are a few things we’ve needed to tweak and improve on, but I think as long as everyone is on the same page with what we’re trying to do, the belief is still strong.

“One win sometimes helps with building that confidence back up and getting us back on track.

“The destination’s not the worry. It’s probably more what works for us this week to help us win and just being able to do that and back that up.”