Prominent Western Australian Peter Tinley says he is flattered to be mentioned as a candidate to become the inaugural Perth Bears chairman and says he will do everything possible to ensure rugby league is a success in the state if offered the role.
The Bears are hoping to appoint a coach, chair, chief executive officer and football manager by the end of the month to ensure they are prepared to start putting a playing roster together from November 1.
Under the agreement struck between the Western Australian government and the NRL, three of the original board members – including the chair – must come from Western Australia. An obvious chair candidate is Tinley. After a distinguished career serving in the Australian army turned his attention to politics, was appointed to cabinet in 2017 and served as a Minister from 2017 to 2021 in a range of portfolios.
The 62-year-old, who recently retired from politics, has been one of the driving forces behind the scenes in ensuring a Perth-based side returned to the NRL.
“Peter Tinley is a candidate, absolutely,” ARLC chairman Peter V’landys said on Thursday when asked about the Bears chairmanship.
Peter Tinley.Credit: File
“He is a man of great experience and certainly knows rugby league and how rugby league operates. He would be one in consideration.”
Tinley said he was humbled by V’landys’ comments.
“I was deeply flattered to be mentioned,” Tinley said. “I’ve been involved in, with many others over the past 15 years, about raising a Western Australian presence in the elite [rugby league] competition.”
Pressed on whether he would be interested in the challenge, the former Labor MP said: “My entire life has been in service, both in uniform and in parliament in a different uniform.
“I see this as a service to Western Australia that I would be very keen to take on if I was ever asked.”
A battle for the hearts and minds of Western Australians has begun following Thursday’s Perth Bears announcement, although winning over the local media will is another matter. A day after the Western Australian newspaper’s front-page headline of “Bad News Bears”, Friday’s edition followed up with “What will be the real price of the Bears?”
While the Seven West Media-owned masthead, whose owner Kerry Stokes holds the AFL rights, is unlikely to be kind to rugby league, Tinley believes league’s latest venture into the region will be a success.
“I have absolutely no question that Perth, Western Australia, is ready to join the NRL competition,” Tinley said.
“We have a state that is jumping out of its skin, is in rude health economically and thirsty for action.
“I’d remind people that 30 years ago, when the Western Reds were running around, that we had 1.1 million people in Perth, 20 members and 15,000 players. We now have three million people in Western Australia.
“If I was ever involved, I’d have big ambitions about what we could do this time.”
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