Seven West Media heavyweight Anthony De Ceglie unveiled as inaugural Perth Bears CEO
The News and Current Affairs editor of Seven West Media - which lambasted Perth’s inclusion in the NRL last week with its “Bad News Bears” front page - has become the franchise’s inaugural CEO.
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The television boss of Kerry Stokes’ Seven West Media has been unveiled as the inaugural chief executive of the Perth Bears.
Anthony De Ceglie, 39, was on Thursday officially unveiled as the man to head up the Bears’ introduction into and expanded 18-team NRL competition in 2027.
It comes as Fox Sports boss Steve Crawley has given his blessing to Mal Meninga in his bid to become the Bears’ first coach.
De Ceglie, the former editor-in-chief of The West Australian — which lambasted Perth’s inclusion in the NRL last week with its “Bad News Bears” front page — met with league bosses recently.
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A West Australian native, De Ceglie will fulfil the NRL’s push to ensure the Perth franchise has local roots.
In a statement on Thursday, ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys hailed De Ceglie’s appointment as an important step forward for the code in Western Australia.
“To succeed in Perth, you need a well connected local who knows how to get things done and has a can do attitude,” V’landys said.
“Anthony is a brilliant operator with a proven track record and a genuine Western Australian, and I am excited about what he can do for us as we grow rugby league in the WA market.”
Seven Network announced broadcast news veteran Ray Kuka, De Ceglie’s deputy, will replace the new Perth Bears CEO.
Kuka last made headlines in August last year when some Seven staff walked out of a bizarre company meeting in which four women, dressed in Santa hats and red dresses, performed pop star Mariah Carey’s song All I Want for Christmas.
Video from the town hall meeting in Perth showed Kuka at a lectern addressing seated staff while the four women danced in front of him with their arms linked.
It’s understood De Ceglie was exploring options to move back to Perth, where his family is from.
One of the first jobs for the Bears going forward will be selecting a coach. Meninga, the Kangaroos coach and rugby league Immortal, is believed to be among three candidates to coach the Bears in 2027, having told this masthead that he would be interested in taking charge of the side.
It is believed that the ARL Commission will conduct interviews this week as they look to make a decision in the next fortnight over their new coach - they are weighing up the merits of Meninga, cross-code legend Sam Burgess and former Parramatta coach Brad Arthur, now at Super League side Leeds.
There have even been suggestions that Meninga and Burgess could form a dream team to take charge of the side in their initial season as they look to ensure they make inroads in the AFL heartland.
“I never tell our partners how to run their business but Mal Meninga’s a long-time part of the Fox family and like all families, we support him in whatever makes him happy,” Crawley told Sport Confidential.
“He’s an Immortal of rugby league and right from the beginning we knew that we had to share him.”
Meninga was one of the greatest players in the game’s history before turning his hand to coaching, initially with Canberra and then with Queensland and Australia.
His record with the Maroons and Kangaroos is without peer and Meninga now wants a return to the NRL as he eyes off the top job with the Perth Bears.
He has some heavyweight figures in his corner and some top credentials, having been lauded for the way he built the culture within the Australian side.
Perth needs to nail their culture from day one and few are better at that side of coaching than Meninga.
Meanwhile, Meninga has become patron of rugby league charity Family of League.
“I have followed the work of Family of League from their early days as Men of League,” Meninga said.
There is no doubt that they are an incredible charity focused solely on the rugby league family and for 23 years they have been shoulder to shoulder with men, women and children as they face a range of battles.
“It is a great honour to be invited to be patron and I look forward to doing what I can to make sure their fantastic work continues long into the future.”
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Originally published as Seven West Media heavyweight Anthony De Ceglie unveiled as inaugural Perth Bears CEO
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