Perth Bears overlook Sam Burgess as coach, close in on Mal Meninga

Sam Burgess has become the latest big-name candidate to be overlooked for the Perth Bears top job, with the NRL’s newest just days away from confirming their foundation coach.

Mal Meninga is days away from making a stunning return to NRL coaching after a 25-year hiatus as Sam Burgess became the latest big-name candidate to be overlooked for the Perth Bears job.

This masthead can reveal the ARL Commission is in the advanced stages of finalising Perth Bears’ foundation coach and plan to make a formal announcement within the week – possibly as early as Monday.

Meninga is in deep negotiations with the ARLC, which owns the Perth Bears licence. The parties are thrashing out terms of remuneration and only an eleventh-hour collapse in talks will prevent Meninga leading the Bears out of hibernation in 2027.

Mal Meninga is days away from making a stunning return to NRL coaching with the Perth Bears. Picture: NRL Photos

The ARLC has spent the past month interviewing a number of targets, drawing up a four-man shortlist that included Meninga, Burgess, ex-Eels grand final coach Brad Arthur and former Broncos mentor Kevin Walters.

Arthur was initially slated as the preferred candidate upon the Bears’ unveiling as the NRL’s 18th team.

But the 51-year-old has not heard from the ARLC, which owns the Bears licence, for several weeks, with Arthur resigned to missing out and remaining at English club Leeds, where he is off-contract at season’s end.

The ARLC explored the prospect of a Meninga-Burgess coaching dream team, a scenario that would have seen the NRL Immortal take charge of the Bears before passing the baton to the English Test great, who is contracted to Warrington until the end of 2026.

But it’s understood Burgess is keen to be an NRL head coach and won’t be part of the NRL’s expansion drive to WA – clearing the path for Meninga to lead a bold new era in charge of the Perth Bears in 2027.

Meninga hasn’t coached in the big league since his five-year tenure at Canberra ended in 2001 and the Raiders icon once said he had no plans to return to the NRL, but the 64-year-old has had a change of heart.

Warrington Wolves coach Sam Burgess is the latest high-profile coach to be overlooked for the Bears.

Should the 47-Test legend be formally installed as Bears coach, it will have implications for his commitments with Australia.

Meninga last year signed a new contract to stay on for another term at the helm of the national team with a view to defending the Kangaroos’ title at the 2026 World Cup.

But the ARL Commission will not allow Meninga to hold both roles, meaning the former Maroons coach must walk away from the Kangaroos to step into the Perth Bears hot seat.

Contacted on Thursday night, Meninga was tight-lipped when asked if he would stand down as Australia coach to link with the Bears.

“It’s speculation,” he said.

“I haven’t had any conversations about this (quitting Australia) and to be honest I don’t want to make any comments.

“It will be addressed if and only if the decision (to coach Perth) becomes a reality.

“The reality for me is that I’m the current Aussie coach.”

With Burgess out of the running in even an assistant’s capacity, a number of candidates have been touted as possible Bears staffers to support Meninga.

Leeds Rhinos coach Brad Arthur was initially slated as the preferred candidate for the Bears but is resigned to missing out. Picture: Getty Images

Matt King has been touted as a potential understudy, but the Roosters and NSW Origin assistant is believed to be keen to remain under Trent Robinson at Bondi.

Justin Holbrook is Meninga’s current assistant at the Kangaroos and is highly-regarded by the NRL Immortal, who backed Holbrook’s appointment as Titans head coach in 2020.

Josh Hannay has also been linked to a role in Perth, but the Cronulla and Queensland Origin assistant has ruled out any move across the Nullarbor.

“I am never going to go anywhere else for an assistant’s job,” Hannay said in the wake of Queensland’s 18-6 loss to NSW in Origin I on Wednesday night.

“That’s not where I see myself, it’s not the journey I’m on.

“If I’m going to be an assistant, I will be at the Cronulla Sharks and Queensland and the next step I take will be as an NRL head coach.”

In his only NRL coaching stint, Meninga won 66 of 125 games at Canberra between 1997-2001 for a 52 per cent success rate.

NRL super coach Wayne Bennett, who once went head-to-head with Meninga for the Australian job, believes ‘Big Mal’ is the standout choice to promote the code in the WA market.

“Mal would be great for Perth,” he said.

“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.”

Originally published as Perth Bears overlook Sam Burgess as coach, close in on Mal Meninga