After playing for the Belmont Steelers, a Western Australian feeder club for the North Queensland Cowboys, Petersen was called up to the NRL in 2002.
[12] Since 2017, Petersen has been a player and specialist backs coach for the Griffith Uni Colleges Knights Rugby Union Club.
Petersen helped the Knights to their Second Gold Coast District Rugby Union Premiership in 2018 in his position of backs coach.
In 2004, Petersen played a game for the United States against Australia in an exhibition match in Philadelphia, qualifying for the American side under the parent rule.
[13] In 2007, Petersen was named as captain of the USA team for their 2008 Rugby League World Cup qualifying match against Samoa.