NRL and WA government’s revised agreement for 18th franchise confirmed

The NRL is set to expand into Western Australia after a revised agreement all but secured the return of a much-loved franchise.

The ARL commission have reportedly agreed in principle to the Western Australian government’s revised offer for an NRL franchise to be based in Perth.

That is according to Code Sports and the SMH, who are reporting a meeting on Wednesday saw a fresh proposal from WA premier Roger Cook rubber-stamped ahead of a potential 2027 introduction.

That agreement all but confirms the return of the Bears to rugby league’s top flight, having last featured in 1999 in a landmark moment.

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NRL clubs and the Rugby League Players’ Association will also need to sign off on the negotiations before the NRL can inform the WA government of their position.

A committee of clubs will reportedly meet with NRL officials on Thursday, hoping to secure the tick of approval to expand their reach into the Western state.

The fresh update comes after it emerged the NRL and WA government were facing major stumbling blocks in initial negotiations.

The Bears are back! North Sydney, WA sign historic agreement.

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo and ARLC chairman Peter V’landys reportedly spent the last two weeks reviving the WA bid.

Several months of negotiations took place between the parties, but reached an impasse after Cook publicly accused the NRL of attempting to milk cash out of his state.

“Unfortunately, like some people from the east, the NRL only appears to see WA as a potential cash cow,” he said at the time.

The NRL had also previously rejected a bid from a private WA consortium before kicking off negotiations directly with the WA government.

Government and NRL officials have both reportedly come to an agreement regarding the franchise’s finances, with an initial investment of over $300 million falling flat.

The Bears are back! North Sydney, WA sign historic agreement.

The WA government reportedly committed to building a $20 million centre of excellence at the Malaga Sports Precinct, alongside $35 million over five years in grassroots development.

However, the NRL’s figure sat at $120 million over 10 years, with a compromise being signed off with a $50 million bid.

The NRL is also hoping for a $200 million redevelopment of HBF Park, hoping to transform the stadium into a rugby league hub similar to that of Parramatta’s CommBank Stadium.

Now, the parties have reached an agreement and the Perth Bears are set to get the green light to enter the NRL.

With the Bears set to join the competition in 2027 and a PNG franchise entering in 2028, the NRL is set to become a 19-team league.

Originally published as NRL and WA government’s revised agreement for 18th franchise confirmed