A Western Australian NRL team is nearing finalisation, after the ARL Commission has accepted a revised offer from the WA government for a Perth-based 18th league franchise.
The deal could mark the return of the Bears to top-flight rugby league for the first time since being culled in 1997.
Reports that negotiations between the two parties had stalled earlier this month, plus the announcement of a new Papua New Guinean franchise in 2028, appeared to have put paid to a WA team.
But the Australian Rugby League Commission has agreed in principle to a revised proposal from the Western Australia government for an NRL team.
The ARLC have signed off on an increased offer from WA Premier Roger Cook, which has salvaged plans for the Perth Bears concept to enter the competition in 2027.
Bears fans are already celebrating, including club great Billy Moore.
“With my lovely wife, I’ve had a glass of champagne already today, this is the biggest day since 1922 … I’m pretty f–king happy,” Moore told Fox Sports.
“We’ve gone through emotion… the exact nuances aren’t crisp and solid yet but the most important thing that matters to me, my former teammates and the 220-odd thousand fans is that the Bears are back baby, the red and black is there.”
The in-principle agreement must also be signed off by the existing 17 clubs and the Rugby League Players’ Association, with those meetings expected to be expedited to give the code extra bargaining power ahead of the next TV rights talks.
Negotiations between the NRL and WA government appeared to have hit a stonewall when Cook accused the league’s governing body of treating his state like a “cash cow”.
Cook had previously said ARL chairman Peter V’landys had been asking the government to provide $120 million in funding over the next decade to help establish the side, and that a team wasn’t a priority.
“Unfortunately, like some people from the east, the NRL only appears to see WA as a potential cash cow,” Mr Cook said.
Western Reds captain Brad Mackay with the foundation team in 1995. (Getty Images)
A bid from a private Western Australian consortium was also rejected by the NRL.
Should all go smoothly, the new franchise could enter the competition as early as 2027.
It’s a major boon for Bears fans, who have been hoping for one home match per season at North Sydney Oval as well as having their team’s famous colours revived by the new club.
The premier revealed earlier this month they were back at the table and described talks as “positive” for the 18th franchise to be located in Perth, and a formal affiliation with former first grade team the North Sydney Bears.
The state government reportedly upped its bid from $35 million to $50 million over five years to get the deal done.
As well as Perth, a Papua New Guinea team is set to enter in 2028, giving the NRL a 19-team competition with 20 sides the league’s long-term ambition with bids from Queensland and New Zealand set to fight it out for the last spot.
The Western Reds only lasted three seasons after they were an expansion team in 1995, sacrificed as part of the Super League War peace treaty.
North Sydney played their last season as a standalone club in 1999 before surviving for two more seasons as part of the ill-fated Northern Eagles joint venture with Manly.
Arthur firms as first head coach
Former Parramatta Eeels coach Brad Arthur is firming as the leading candidate to be the WA NRL side’s first head coach when they enter the competition.
With over 250 games’ experience as an NRL head coach under his belt, Arthur was dismissed after Parramatta’s poor start to the 2024 campaign.
Across his decade-long tenure, he was unable to secure the club’s first premiership since its heyday of the 1980s but led the Eels to the 2022 grand final where they were soundly beaten by the Penrith Panthers in the second of four straight grand final victories.
But this will be quite a different challenge, with the new club to start from scratch with potentially less than two years to prepare for Round 1 of the 2027 season.
with AAP
