England prop Matty Lees signs with PNG Chiefs
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England prop Matty Lees has been confirmed as the first Super League player to sign with the PNG Chiefs for their entry to the NRL in 2028.
Lees, who has played 12 Tests for England - including last year's Ashes series against the Kangaroos - and 199 matches for St Helens, will move to Papua New Guinea at the end of the 2027 season.
The 28-year-old is a graduate of the Saints Academy system, joining the club as a 16-year-old and progressing through the ranks to make his Super League debut in 2017, aged just 18.
A stalwart of the England team, Lees was named St Helens captain ahead of the 2026 season until suffering a knee injury that may rule him out of the World Cup.
He said the opportunity to play for the Chiefs under the coaching of Hull KR's Super League premiership winning mentor Willie Peters and alongside marquee signings Jarome Luai, Alex Johnston and Connor Watson was too good to turn down.
"Sometimes in life, when an opportunity comes, you have to take it on," Lees said in St Helens media release.
"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.
“Together, we’ve shared some incredible memories and achieved things I could only have dreamed of when I first pulled on the shirt.
"Winning Super League titles, the Challenge Cup, the World Club Challenge, and creating lifelong memories with teammates, staff and supporters. Those are moments I’ll cherish forever.
“I will forever be grateful to the club, the fans, my teammates and everyone who has supported me throughout this journey."
Beyond his achievements on the field, Lees is widely respected for the standards he sets every day. His professionalism, resilience, humility and team-first mentality are qualities the Chiefs believe will play an important role in shaping the culture and identity of the club.
Following the announcements of Luai, Johnston and Watson, the signing of Lees represents another important milestone as the PNG Chiefs continue building towards their historic NRL debut in 2028.
PNG Chiefs General Manager Football Michael Chammas said securing a player of Lees' calibre was another important step for the club.
"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."
PNG Chiefs CEO Lorna McPherson welcomed the latest signing and said Lees embodies the values and standards the club is seeking to establish from day one.
"As we continue building the PNG Chiefs, we're focused on bringing in quality people as much as quality players.
"Matty has earned enormous respect throughout his career through his professionalism, humility and commitment to his team.
"As Player 004, he becomes part of the foundation group that will help establish the standards and identity of our club for years to come.
Highly regarded by teammates for his industrious work rate and fearless attitude, Lees has been a key figure in St Helens’ Super League title-winning years from 2019 to 2022.
He has also earned three League Leaders’ Shields, the 2021 Challenge Cup, and the 2023 World Club Challenge, among other honours.
An established England international, Lees has 12 caps to his name so far, featuring in the 2022 Rugby League World Cup, series victories over Tonga and Samoa, and most recently starting in the front row against Australia in the Ashes series.
Saints have already moved quickly to strengthen the club's front-row options following Lees' injury, securing the signing of Daniel Suluka-Fifita, who arrives in the UK this week from the Bulldogs.
St Helens Chairman Eamonn McManus said: "Matty’s commitment to the St Helens’ first team and its successes has been immense over the last decade.
"He has won every honour with us and will go down as a legend of the Club. I’m sure that he will carry on in that vein when he recovers from injury and that he will be giving absolutely everything, as only he knows how to, in the 2027 season.
“Matty has had an ambition to play in the NRL for some time, and we respect that, particularly after so many years of putting his body on the line for us.
"He had an NRL break clause in his existing contract for 2028 and, therefore, in turn, he has shown respect to us by honouring his contractual obligations to the full.
“We will wish him and his family every success in his new adventure in Papua New Guinea when the time comes, but that is clearly some time away yet.
"There is much, much more for Matty to achieve with the Saints before then, and I’m confident that he will.
“Finally, we would like to put on record our appreciation of the professionalism and cooperation exhibited by the senior management of the PNG Chiefs in their dealings on this matter with our club.”
