Will Genia Considers PNG Chiefs Involvement Post-Japan
Former Wallabies captain and proud Papua New Guinean Will Genia is actively exploring opportunities to contribute to the PNG Chiefs in any capacity as he plans his next career move following nearly a decade in Japan. After retiring from professional play last year, Genia will conclude his role as skills coach with the Kintetsu Liners at the end of the current Japanese season.
Return to Brisbane and Coaching Aspirations
The 38-year-old is initially heading back to his home in Brisbane, where he aims to continue building a coaching career. Genia has expressed enthusiasm about potentially assisting the NRL's new start-up venture, the PNG Chiefs, ahead of their scheduled entry into the league in 2028. As a dual citizen, Genia has strong familial and personal connections to Papua New Guinea; his father, Kilroy, served as a cabinet minister there, and Genia remains an ambassador for the Kokoda Track Foundation.
Additionally, his 11-year-old daughter attends school in PNG, reinforcing his deep ties to the country where he hopes to spend a significant portion of his post-playing life. "If the Chiefs needed me for anything, for sure I'd love to get involved," Genia stated in an interview from Japan. "I'd love to be in like a mentoring space or a talent-scout or talent-ID role, or just be a part of what they're trying to build."
Challenges and Opportunities for PNG Chiefs
Genia highlighted the potential challenges the PNG Chiefs might face, drawing parallels to the recent struggles of Moana Pasifika, which is being cut from Super Rugby Pacific after just five seasons. He described this development as a tragedy, noting the impact on talent pathways and opportunities for Pacific players. "It's obviously similar to the experience a lot of guys at the Melbourne Rebels had, when they were cut, and what it does to the talent pathway and the Pacific opportunities, not to have a pathway," he explained. "So it's quite disheartening."
He emphasized that the Chiefs will need substantial support in establishing pathways, infrastructure, and a professional competition, stating, "They'll need as many people as they can. So if there was an opportunity, that'd be great because there's a hell of a lot that I could offer as a player in professional environments, high-performance environments and things of that nature. And it'd be an opportunity for me to get back home."
Coaching Experience and Future Goals
Genia is currently seeking a new position after helping his former Wallabies and Queensland Reds teammate Quade Cooper guide Kintetsu to the top of Japan's division two. Reflecting on his coaching journey, he said, "I've really enjoyed the opportunity to get into coaching. I've learned just learning about the game from a different perspective. When we played, I could just do things without having to know a lot about the particular details or understand the roles of different people."
He added that the most rewarding aspect has been collaborating with players to innovate and improve gameplay. "So the best part about it, the guys here just like how the game's being played and looking at ways you can innovate. I want to stay in coaching if I can. I'd love to stay in it and learn as much as I can to build on a lot of the experience that I've had and the knowledge that I already have, to see if I can help grow the game and be a part of an organisation."
