The NRL has floated an extraordinary proposal for Western Force players and those playing for the new Perth Bears franchise to be simultaneously available for both clubs.
The Perth Bears were officially announced as a new team to enter the NRL competition in 2027 at a press conference held in Perth attended by ARLC chairman Peter V’landys, NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo and Western Australian Premier Roger Cook.
The league’s 18th team will play the majority of home games in Perth’s HBF Park, although V’landys indicated that at least one premiership match could be held at North Sydney, the spiritual home of the North Sydney Bears. However, the biggest bombshell during the 40-minute press conference was V’landy’s suggestion that the Perth Bears and local rugby union franchise Western Force could interchange players.
“We’ve had talks with Twiggy Forrest in regards to the Western Force,” V’landys said of the Force’s multi-billionaire owner.
“There’s an opportunity here that may never have been done anywhere in the world where the two teams could be combined to a certain degree and can use each other’s players in specific matches.
“So we’re gonna look at that. It’s a novel idea and who’s to argue with Twiggy Forrest, who’s a self-made man. We’ll look at it, absolutely.”
Peter V’landys at the announcement of the Perth Bears franchise.Credit: Hamish Hastie
Pressed on the players criss-crossing between the codes, V’landys replied: “As anyone that knows me, we look at the things outside the square.
“That’s outside the square, and we’ll look at it. If it can help both games in Western Australia, why wouldn’t we do it?”
The Force and Bears are poised to share some facilities and infrastructure, but a revolutionary player-sharing agreement would require the NRL to re-write its own rules. Currently, NRL players aren’t allowed to hold a contract with a rival sport, while there would be considerable salary cap implications for both sports.
In an interview he granted after the press conference, V’landys spoke about his desire for games to be played at North Sydney Oval.
“We would like to see it upgraded for when it does happen,” he said.
“This is just as much about the Bears as anything else. It was the commission and Andrew [Abdo’s] ambition to get the Bears back and that is exactly what we have done.
“North Sydney is a historical oval and it should be used when it can, as we do with Leichhardt and Belmore Oval. North Sydney Oval is one of those unique, great wonders of rugby league.”
The NRL got a taste of the type of media coverage it can expect in Perth when news of the introduction of the new team broke overnight. The front-page headline of the Western Australian screamed “Bad News Bears”, referring to them as a “dud second-division team” that delivers “questionable economic benefit”.
It is an indicator of how hard it will be to get cut-through in a local sporting market in which AFL dominates.
“Well, I think the media coverage has been a bit biased, in the sense that the main newspaper here is owned by Seven West Media that has the AFL rights, let’s be quite frank,” V’landys said.
“They don’t want us to be here because they realise we’re going to be competitive and we’re going to take some of their lunch. And we eat a lot, so we’ll be taking a fair bit of their lunch.”
The Western Australian government will tip in $65.6 million towards support for the new franchise over the course of seven years. The NRL predicts the annual economic benefit once the team is competing to be $52.2 million per annum, while the WA government’s treasury estimates are a more conservative $28 million.
The challenge now is for a franchise that will be able to start signing players from November 1 to appoint a coach, chief executive and football manager. Those announcements are expected to be made by the end of the month.
“This will be a community-based, member-based club and that’s really important to the commission and to the government,” Abdo said.
“That means this will be a community-based sport where members can have their say.”
The entry of the Perth Bears in 2027 and then PNG in 2028 will give the NRL a new proposition to take to broadcasters as they negotiate a new rights agreement.
“The more product you can provide a broadcaster, the more you’re going to maximise your return from the broadcaster,” V’landys said.
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