The Perth Bears will need to cast their net beyond the NRL ranks to fill their roster for their inaugural season and Brumbies hooker Billy Pollard is shaping up as a potential recruit. 

Pollard, who made his Wallabies debut in the 2022 Test against Argentina in San Juan, played league as a junior and is reportedly keen to give the NRL a crack.

According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, the 23-year-old is eager to explore the possibility of linking with the Bears.

The former Australian under-18 hooker is off contract with his Super Rugby franchise at the end of this year.

Billy Pollard of the Brumbies dives to score a try. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

Six years ago he had several NRL clubs knocking down his door to try to get him to hope across the codes and he met with Wayne Bennett, who attempted to get him to play for South Sydney.

“I did have an opportunity to go to Souths, but by that stage I was probably looking at union. He told me wherever I go, if you want to be the best you have to train like it and to act like it, 24-7,” he said last year.

Pollard played for the Asquith Magpies in league as a junior, which is a feeder team to North Sydney’s NSW Cup side.

His father and grandfather also played for the Bears so the family connection with the club runs deep.

The Bears still need to form a board and then appoint a chief executive and  coach after officially getting the green light last week to join the NRL in 2027.

Brad Arthur, Sam Burgess and Mal Meninga have expressed interest in becoming the expansion team’s foundation coach.

Four new sides locked in for next Vegas showcase

The NRL will attempt to capitalise on Canterbury’s popularity by putting them on the plane to Las Vegas next year, alongside St George Illawarra, North Queensland and Newcastle.

Head office confirmed the four men’s NRL teams for the league’s third Vegas extravaganza, with all teams on their maiden trip for the March 1 (AEDT) event.

Newcastle will play North Queensland, before neighbouring rivals the Bulldogs and Dragons face off.

Hull KR will also play Leeds in the Super League match. The NRL made no mention of a women’s fixture in Wednesday’s official announcement.

It’s expected the recent surge in popularity for the Bulldogs will help the NRL push for an increased crowd figure of 45,209 from this season.

Canterbury hosted a record regular-season crowd earlier this year when 65,603 turned up for their Good Friday match against South Sydney.

The resurgent club also attracted more than 24,000 for a Sunday night game against the out-of-town Knights earlier this year, to go with three straight crowds of beyond 30,000 at the end of last year.

Adding to the NRL’s hopes of an increased attendance is that they have been able to name the fixtures earlier, rather than in July last year and August the year before.

Questions do, however, remain around the future of the World Club Challenge, after it did not go ahead this year with both Penrith and Wigan in Vegas.

The Bulldogs’ clear lead at the top of the ladder means they are well on track to feature in finals come September, as one of the premiership favourites.

If they were to lift the trophy on October 5, it would be questionable how the World Club Challenge would fit into next year’s pre-season schedule.

The Cowboys also have enough strike to do damage and threaten for the premiership come September, while the Dragons and Knights would need a significant turnaround.

Meanwhile, the absence of a women’s match in Wednesday’s announcement came after Australia trounced England 90-4 in Vegas earlier this year.

NRL bosses conceded afterwards the day was potentially too long, and could be shortened for 2026.

Drama at Nine with journo sidelined over manager feud

Controversial player agent Isaac Moses is in the firing line again after he threatened to pull his star client Mitchell Moses from an appearance on 100% Footy on Monday night due to a feud with a Nine journalist.

Moses told producers of the show that the Eels halfback would not turn up if senior league reporter Michael Chammas took up his regular place on the panel.

The Sydney Morning Herald newshound has been a vocal critic of Moses for several years and tensions rose again recently following the way the manager handled the Lachie Galvin situation at the Wests Tigers.

Nine reluctantly agreed to replace Chammas on the panel with fellow Nine reporter Danny Weidler and Moses, who is in the frame for NSW selection after a strong comeback from injury with Parramatta recently, appeared on the show. 

Isaac Moses, who has twice been deregistered by the NRL over major rule breaches, had booked the appearance for his player on 100% Footy without the knowledge of the Eels.

Mitchell Moses needs a big performance on Friday night against Newcastle to lock down a halves spot for NSW with Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai also in the mix for game one on May 28.

with AAP