‘Bigger than me’: Mal Meninga at ease with giving up Kangaroos role to coach Perth Bears

Mal Meninga hasn’t coached a club side for more than 20 years, but he’s confident he can play a key role in building the Perth Bears.

The Perth Bears have locked in their most important piece with rugby league Immortal Mal Meninga confirmed as the inaugural coach of the NRL’s newest franchise.

Meninga has had to vacate his role as Kangaroos coach and will officially start his new job on July 1 as he prepares to build a roster for when the Bears enter the competition in 2027.

The Raiders legend oversaw the greatest Maroons side of all time and has enjoyed World Cup success with Australia, but this will be his first time back in club land since he left Canberra in 2001.

Mal Meninga shakes hands with NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo after agreeing to become the inaugural coach of the Perth Bears. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

“This is bigger than me,” he said.

“It’s about the game and the growth of the game in WA. I want to leave it in a good place. The foundations are going to be set in stone, and when I move on, the great club called the Perth Bears will hopefully be a success.

“It’s a huge responsibility, but I believe I’m up for it.

“It’s a huge challenge, but I love challenges.”

With Meninga signed on for the next three years, Perth finally has a big Bear over there, but they’ll need a chair as well and hopefully people willing to share the stories that the NRL wants them to tell.

It’s why Meninga, Bears chief executive Anthony De Ceglie and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo stressed the importance of understanding the rugby league community in Western Australia and ensuring the link to North Sydney isn’t lost.

De Ciglie is aware of the sporting landscape in Perth where AFL remains king, but rugby league has already ruffled a few feathers and will only get bigger with Meninga at the helm.

Meninga was joined by Perth Bears chief executive Anthony De Ceglie at the announcement in Sydney. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

“It’s obvious that Mal is an Immortal of the NRL, but I think it’s important to note that he’s an Immortal of the national sporting landscape,” De Ceglie said, with Meninga beating out other candidates like Brad Arthur and Sam Burgess.

“Mal is a part of the Australian identity, so we’re incredibly honoured that he’s taken up this opportunity.

“It’s small steps. We’ve gone from one Bear in me to two Bears with Mal, so we’ve doubled our staff overnight.

“I genuinely feel like the first thing we need to do is listen and appreciate and respect the legacy of the North Sydney Bears but also the fans in WA who have a proud tradition as well.

“They’ve kept the candle burning for decades, and we have to marry those things together to make this thing a huge success.”

The Kangaroos are on the hunt for a new coach to replace Meninga. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

The NRL will work with the Bears to finalise the board, with attention now turning to who will replace Meninga as Kangaroos coach.

Meninga has played a key role in growing the international game but won’t be there for the Ashes tour at the end of the year, with former Blues boss Brad Fittler the early favourite to take over.

“The commission has long held the view that the Kangaroos coach can’t be involved in coaching clubs as well, and that policy is going to continue,” Abdo said.

“As Mal said, this is a full-time job and it’s about building a team from the ground up. It’s exciting, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work, so the focus on the club is one thing, but the commission also has the existing policy.

“We’re all excited for the end-of-season tour, and it’s been a long time coming. Today was about announcing Mal as the Bears coach, and with Mal secured and finalised, the commission will turn its attention to the right candidate for the Kangaroos.”

Originally published as ‘Bigger than me’: Mal Meninga at ease with giving up Kangaroos role to coach Perth Bears