The NRL has told the Western Australian government it will not consider working with the consortium behind the Western Bears bid in a major hurdle to the game’s expansion plans.
Sources talking under the condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of discussions told this masthead NRL officials were fuming over what they perceived to be an attempt by the consortium to “low-ball” the NRL in its recently submitted business proposal.
NRL bosses Andrew Abdo and Peter V’landys.Credit: Nick Moir
The NRL now wants to work directly with the WA government to formulate a potential ownership model that doesn’t involve the Western Bears consortium.
The NRL has since told the Western Australian government that the bid, run by Cash Converters deputy chairman Peter Cumins, is now out of the running for one of three potential new licenses head office is considering in its push towards a 20-team competition.
“I’ve said from day one that for expansion to happen, a business case has to be prosecuted,” ARLC chairman Peter V’landys said.
“If we don’t believe the business case stacks up, how can we take it to our members when we’re not convinced ourselves. The business case in its current state does not stack up, so naturally it has been rejected. We are presently dealing with the West Australian government, who have been excellent throughout the whole process.”
Bears fans Craig Gray and Josh Averell at North Sydney Oval in excitement for a potential marriage with a Perth team.Credit: Steven Seiwert
This masthead recently reported that colourful Sydney Kings part-owner Paul Smith and former NRL executive Paul Kind, who run Total Sport and Entertainment, were in secret negotiations with the consortium. The sources said their inclusion as owners in the proposal had blindsided the NRL.
The NRL expansion submission also included a question about potential licence fees that bid teams would be willing to pay. The Western Bears consortium indicated it would not be prepared to stump up a licence fee.
Cumins has not responded to attempts to contact him for comment. The NRL declined to comment.
The NRL has been clear that a prerequisite for a team in Perth will be a link with the North Sydney Bears, and that won’t change under new negotiations with the WA government.
The league has told North Sydney officials that its decision to cut ties with the consortium will not impact the Bears’ hopes of returning to the competition should a Perth team be introduced to the competition from as early as 2027.
V’landys hinted at the drama in an interview on radio on Sunday when asked about the nine expansion proposals that had been submitted to the NRL.
“Look, we have run into a bit of a hiccup at the moment in relation to the bids weren’t as good as we hoped they would be, except for the Papua New Guinea bid,” V’landys said on Triple M just hours out from Sunday’s NRL grand final.
“That was exactly like we expected but the others weren’t. That has probably slowed us up a bit but we will certainly be looking nevertheless in trying to expand in the next few years because we need to have our content right when we go to the broadcasters to get our maximum broadcast deal.”
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