Sam Burgess and Mal Meninga the leading candidates to coach Perth Bears

The NRL’s newest team could field an all-star coaching duo with Sam Burgess and Mal Meninga a chance to share the top job at the Perth Bears - and the partnership has received heavyweight support.

Wayne Bennett has endorsed a Mal Meninga-Sam Burgess strikeforce as the NRL legends emerged as a shock dynamic duo for the Perth Bears coaching job.

The battle for the Perth post has taken a dramatic twist with Burgess and Meninga rocketing into contention as front-runners to edge out Brad Arthur and coach the Bears in 2027.

This masthead can reveal the ARL Commission, which owns the Perth licence, has drawn-up a four-man shortlist comprising Burgess, Meninga, Arthur and former Broncos coach Kevin Walters.

But after initially being positioned as coaching rivals, the NRL could bring Meninga and Burgess together to spearhead a bold new expansion era for the code in Western Australia.

L-R) Sam Burgess, Brad Arthur and Mal Meninga

Arthur was viewed as the preferred candidate to coach the NRL’s 18th team given his 12 years of first-grade experience, including a grand-final appearance with the Eels in 2022.

ARL Commission powerbrokers are adamant no decision has been made and negotiations are ongoing as they close in on making the crucial appointment.

If Burgess is unavailable, another option is for former Titans coach Justin Holbrook to serve as a right-hand man given his strong ties to Meninga, who backed his appointment at the Gold Coast.

But the Meninga-Burgess alliance is a bona fide option, with Souths super coach Bennett believing the duo have the pedigree to bring instant credibility to the Perth Bears.

“Sam had a view to one day come back and coach in the NRL and I have no doubt he can do it,” said Bennett, who coached Burgess as a player with Souths and England.

“I think he will make a good coach because of who is and what he stands for and what he brings as a leader.

“If you told Sam Burgess he had to move garbage, he would be the best ‘garbo’ you’ve ever had.

“I’m serious. Whatever he commits to, he commits to it completely.

“Mal would be great for Perth. He was a great player for me (in Queensland Origin teams) and he is at a stage in life where he wouldn’t be worried about his win-loss record.

“If you are worried about your percentages, don’t turn up.

“Mal is a legend of our game, he’s an Immortal. He would be great from a promotional point of view, too, giving the game some profile over there.

“I always felt better as a coach seeing Mal Meninga and Sam Burgess walk into a change room.

“They lifted everyone else in the room - they have a great aura - and that’s what they could do for the Perth team.”

Arthur remains in the picture and should the ARLC be unable to come to terms with Meninga and Burgess, the ex-Eels coach is an experienced option.

It is understood Meninga could take charge of the Bears operations later this year, working on Perth’s recruitment and structures, before passing the baton to Burgess to coach the new franchise in 2027.

South Sydney and English Test icon Burgess is contracted to Warrington until the end of 2026 and would be free to be Perth’s head coach in 2027.

Australia coach Meninga could remain at the Bears as a coaching director or football consultant, similar to the role he previously held at the Titans.

Wayne Bennett was hand picked to lead the Dolphins. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Meninga has made it clear he wants to coach in the NRL again, having last taken charge of the Raiders in 2002.

Since then, the 64-year-old has had a decorated coaching stint with Queensland and Australia.

“I am certainly interested in helping out in any way I can,” Meninga told this masthead on Monday night.

“My time coaching at Canberra was a long time ago but I’ve stayed in touch with Queensland and Australian teams and I know the current players.

“It would be great to be part of an expansion team, whether that’s Perth or PNG, as both regions have great potential if we get the pathways right.”

The NRL has also interviewed Walters, however the ex-Broncos coach remains an outsider for the position.

Bennett, who helped set-up the Broncos in 1988 and Dolphins in 2023, said Burgess would not let down the Bears if given his big break as NRL coach.

“Footy IQ won’t be a problem. Sam has the smarts and the passion,” he said.

“I wanted to bring Sam to the Dolphins, but it didn’t work and he finished up back at South Sydney and now he’s at Warrington.

“He played in the first year I was at Souths. His arm was gone. It was incredible what he did, the pain he went through and all the stuff he went through to run on the footy field that last year.

Wayne Bennett (L) was Brisbane’s inaugural coach.

“Sam has gone on to do other things, he was coaching at Coffs Harbour and I remember how the locals just warmed to him.

“Sam has that special personality where people are just drawn to him and players will be inspired by him because they all respect him.

“I’ve started up two clubs so I know what it takes.

“You need a coach who won’t worry about his reputation, how many games he has won and how many he has lost. It’s a tough gig starting up a new club.

“You can’t do it without the support of a good board and I had a good board at the Broncos led by Paul Morgan and the Dolphins in Bob Jones, both of whom backed me.

“They were prepared to take the tough times and I had some tough times in both those jobs, but you can’t look for a quick fix in Perth.

“It’s about building the team, having a vision and having the courage to stand by the vision knowing it’s a long-term project, not a short-term thing.

“Some teams in our comp have been around 20 or 30 years and haven’t won a premiership and if they have, they may have won one, it’s bloody hard.

“The short-term stuff doesn’t work.”

Originally published as Sam Burgess and Mal Meninga the leading candidates to coach Perth Bears