The Perth Bears are set to join the NRL as soon as the 2027 season, and rugby league pundits are incredibly optimistic the new franchise will be a successful venture.
Following on from the Dolphins, who entered the first grade competition in 2023, the Bears are set to return to top flight rugby league for the first time since 1999.
For The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield, the club’s success will all come down to those employed to recruit their squad ahead of their inaugural season.
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“It’s really exciting, what I love about this story is you bring back tens and tens of thousands of disgruntled fans who left the game when they were kicked out in 1999,” Rothfield said on NRL360 on Monday night.
“You also go into a new market where there are so many league-hungry people in Perth, this franchise is an absolute no-brainer to be successful.
“They’ve just got to get the right figurehead, the right coach, the right chief executive.”
Fox League’s James Hooper echoed Rothfield’s opinion, and explained how the Bears’ season will be structured and where they will play their games.
The new venture’s jersey will also reportedly be a nod to that of the traditional North Sydney strip, with red and black being primary colours alongside a splash of yellow and a Bears logo.
“I would say they will go down the heritage round, they will play a couple of games at North Sydney Oval, how good would that be?” Hooper said.
“Suburban rugby league looks so good on television, fans embrace it and love it and kids can sit in the figtree.
“But they will play the majority of their games over in Western Australia, we saw that stadium, it was sold out when the Roosters and the Dolphins were over there a couple of weeks ago.
“They will play primarily out of there, but certainly I love the fact they will honour their history.”
The Dolphins’ success was masterminded by arguably the NRL’s greatest ever coach in Wayne Bennett, chief executive Terry Reader and recruitment guru Peter O’Sullivan.
NRL360 host Braith Anasta then put the big question to both Hooper and Rothfield — who will be the Bears’ coach?
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Rothfield replied: “Brad Arthur and Mitchell Moses, who knows? Who is available? Unfortunately Wayne Bennett, the best franchise builder there is is locked in at Souths”.
Meanwhile, Hooper revealed Arthur is keen to take his talents to Western Australia.
“2027 they are looking at (entering the competition), the man who wants the job is Brad Arthur and he is available at the moment,” Hooper said.
“So that makes a lot of sense, he has proven in terms of recruitment he can go into the market and he’s an attractive proposition to players. I’d have him as the favourite at the moment.
“Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo will ensure, given what’s at stake, that the team will have a good set-up.
“PVL was big on getting Wayne Bennett to the Dolphins and what a masterstroke that’s proven. I’m sure they will want to see the new Western Bears immediately strong.”
