NRL, WA lock in deal for Perth Bears’ to become NRL’s 18th team

The deal is done: WA premier Roger Cook has confirmed the state has a new NRL team, after agreeing to terms with the ARL Commission on the Perth Bears franchise.

West Australian premier Roger Cook has confirmed the state has a new NRL team after agreeing to terms with the ARL Commission on the Perth Bears franchise.

As exclusively revealed by this masthead, the ARLC has formally struck an $85 million deal with the West Australian government for the Perth Bears to become the NRL’s 18th team.

After months of see-sawing negotiations, ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo have reached agreement with WA premier Cook _ paving the way for the Perth Bears to enter the Telstra Premiership in 2027.

V’landys and Abdo flew to WA on Wednesday ahead of a formal announcement in Perth on Thursday, with Cook confirming this masthead’s report.

Peter V'landys x Western Bears

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“We’ve secured a new WA NRL club for Western Australia!” Cook said in a statement.

“This is a great day for sports fans and a great day for the WA economy.

“The ARLC has accepted our position that the club should not be charged a licence fee and that every dollar in direct financial assistance provided by the WA Government be spent in WA.

“I’d like to thank the ARLC for the robust negotiations we’ve undertaken, as both parties have sought to get the best deal for our stakeholders.

“Perth will now join Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne as cities that host both NRL and AFL sides, and I’d back us to compete just as hard at NRL as we do at AFL.

“So, now let’s get behind our new NRL side as we put the ‘national’ in NRL!”

WA Premier Roger Cook. Picture: Colin Murty

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It is understood the Perth Bears will feature a seven-man board. While the NRL will own the licence, the Bears’ governance will have independence, with Cook revealing the executive will be headed up by a WA representative.

“Because of our strong negotiating position, the new WA-based NRL side will be chaired by a Western Australian and controlled by members, rather than a private company,” he said.

The birth of the Perth Bears will be the preamble to V’landys and Abdo kicking off TV rights negotiations in the coming weeks for a 19-team league that will welcome Papua New Guinea in 2028.

After decades of false starts and broken hearts, it’s now official - foundation club the Bears are back after 26 years in the NRL wilderness.

The final impediment to the Bears’ resurrection was cleared during Magic Round when the NRL and WA government chiefs found common ground over funding demands.

The NRL and WA government held a decisive round of negotiations to thrash out a funding model for the Perth Bears franchise.

Leeds coach Brad Arthur is the preferred candidate to lead the Bears in their first season in the NRL. Picture: Getty Images

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The ARL Commission had agreed in-principle last week to press ahead with expansion to Perth - on the proviso the WA government would be forthcoming with a multi-faceted funding strategy for the NRL’s newest club.

The latest instalment of talks were successful, with the NRL and WA government agreeing to a $65m deal for grassroots investment, plus a further $20m injection for a Perth-based Centre of Excellence.

Work will also commence on a $200 million-plus upgrade of HBF Stadium as part of the NRL’s desire for the ground to be Perth’s version of Parramatta’s CommBank Stadium.

An eastern-seaboard sport for more than a century, the Perth Bears now give the NRL a bona fide national footprint to challenge the AFL as Australia’s No.1 code.

“From the beginning, we’ve said any deal would have to represent value for WA taxpayers and that is what we have delivered, with Acil Allen modelling indicating a significant return on investment to our economy,” Cook said.

“A new WA NRL club will deliver jobs and new economic activity, including a boost in tourism and visitation as the WA brand is exposed to millions across Australia and overseas.”

V’landys told this masthead during Magic Round the Perth Bears would be an NRL force.

“The euphoria I have seen has been extraordinary,” he said.

“That’s one of the reasons why we wanted to bring the Bears back.

“There’s a lot of people who support the Bears and they have a readymade supporter base. They have the pathways with their juniors and it’s a perfect marriage if it happens with Perth.

“It could be one of the real success stories of the future.

“Perth is a goldmine for the NRL.

“It has enormous potential. It gives us a national footprint to a degree and the time zone works really well with our global and expansion strategies.”

Originally published as NRL, WA lock in deal for Perth Bears’ to become NRL’s 18th team