NRL expansion: Brad Arthur in line to be named inaugural head coach of Western Bears

The NRL’s newest franchise has wasted little time in identifying the man to spearhead its inaugural campaign, turning to former Parramatta coach Brad Arthur to build the Western Bears.

Former Eels mentor Brad Arthur has been earmarked to be the inaugural coach of the Western Bears as the fledgling franchise prepares to target rugby union players in Argentina and South Africa as part of a global poaching raid.

This masthead can reveal Arthur is the preferred candidate to lead rugby league’s bold new era in Western Australia on a landmark day in which the Bears’ return was all but sealed after 26 years in the NRL wilderness.

The return of the WA-backed Bears is a prelude to Papua New Guinea’s admission, giving the NRL a 19-team league in 2028. As part of the Western Bears’ entry to the NRL in 2027, the code will look to poach rugby talent in South Africa and Argentina to help bolster the roster of the Perth-based 18th team.

Like the Dolphins, who entered the NRL two years ago as the 17th team with super coach Wayne Bennett in charge, being competitive from the outset will be vital for the credibility of the Western Bears.

One of the first tasks will be appointing a foundation head coach and well-placed sources say Arthur – the former Parramatta grand-final mentor – has had heavyweight support throughout the high-powered negotiations.

Arthur is currently coaching Leeds Rhinos in England but is off-contract at season’s end. That would make him available from 2026 to set up the Western Bears’ structures and preside over signing a 30-man full-time roster ahead of the 18th team’s entry to the Telstra Premiership in 2027.

The 50-year-old coached 264 games at the Eels spanning 12 seasons and steered Parramatta to the 2022 grand final, only to be beaten by arch rivals Penrith.

Arthur has family links to Perth via his wife and hasn’t hidden his interest in being the coaching face of rugby league’s new outpost in Western Australia. North Sydney legend Billy Moore said Arthur would be the perfect choice if formally appointed by the Western Bears.

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“Brad has experience at the highest levels in Australia and England,” Moore said.

“He knows success and how to produce it. Pathways development will be key to long-term success for the Bears and Arthur has done this at several clubs, including Parramatta, Melbourne and Manly.”

The Bears will be able to enter the player market from November 1, giving the club just a 12-month runway to construct their first roster, but Moore is confident the Perth team can hit the ground running.

It is understood the NRL, who will run the new franchise for at least the first five years, have addressed concerns over the player drain by suggesting they could look to foreign markets to fill out Perth’s squad.

Argentina and South Africa, two countries with flourishing rugby union competitions, shape as targets for Perth talent scouts.

“We are entering a brutally tough competition and the requirements to be good are so hard,” Moore said.

“Two years will come quickly. We will be actively in the market from November this year so things will move very quickly.

“Very soon, as this merger gets realised, we have a lot of hard work to do. It’s great for the red-and-black to be back, but we have to be good and we have to be competitive from day one.

“From this day forward, Western Australia are in the Bears family. It’s a great opportunity for the NRL to be a completely nationalised sport. This puts the ‘N’ in National Rugby League.

“To be old and new, it’s a proven model that works. We have seen it in the AFL with Sydney Swans and South Melbourne and Fitzroy and the Brisbane Lions.

“We will be able to marry up the west coast and east coast. The Western Australians love sport, there’s 75 years of league history over there. They had the Western Reds for three years, so you are bringing together two groups who should never have had a break from the NRL.

“This is a massive day for the game. All those North Sydney Bears fans can dream about seeing their side, after a quarter of the century out of the big league, playing in the NRL again.”

Originally published as NRL expansion: Brad Arthur in line to be named inaugural head coach of Western Bears