Toby Sexton signs two-year deal with Perth Bears as NRL’s newest team lands face of the franchise
The Perth Bears have shored up their halves as they prepare to enter the NRL in 2027, signing former Bulldog Toby Sexton to a two year deal.
Mal Meninga’s Perth Bears have struck their first major playmaking recruitment coup by signing former Bulldogs halfback Toby Sexton.
Code Sports understands Sexton has agreed to terms on a two-year deal to become Perth’s foundation No.7 and spearhead the return of the Bears to the big league in 2027.
The Bears have come under fire for struggling to land a marquee recruit, with Titans ace Jayden Campbell rejecting a monster $6 million offer to remain loyal to the Gold Coast.
Perth last week snared Leeds Rhinos centre and British international Harry Newman, who played in England’s third Test loss to Australia earlier this month.
But Sexton is the Bears’ first bona fide signing in their spine, with the one-time Australian Schoolboys ace inking a deal as Perth’s halfback poster boy until the end of 2028.
The 24-year-old will play next season with French club Catalans in the English Super League before returning home to spearhead the NRL’s new 18th team in Western Australia.
Foundation Perth coach Meninga is expected to unveil Sexton as a Bears recruit next week.
Speaking to Code Sports on Friday, Perth recruitment boss Dane Campbell confirmed Sexton was on the Bears’ radar for 2027.
“Toby is a quality first grader. He is certainly a guy we will be looking at,” he said.
“Toby is a good person and good player and harbours an ambition to probably come back to the NRL at some point.
“There’s plenty of talent out there and it’s just a process.
“You can’t just click your fingers and expect blokes to sign just because you send them a contract.
“These things take time and we are comfortable with the progress we are making.”
Sexton has compiled 65 first-grade games for Canterbury and the Titans after making his NRL debut with the Gold Coast in 2021.
Earmarked as a future star at the Titans, Sexton fell out of favour on the Gold Coast after three seasons and was thrown a lifeline by Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo and football boss Phil Gould last year.
Sexton amassed 41 games for the Bulldogs and was controversially dropped midway through this season after the club signed Tigers whiz-kid Lachlan Galvin - despite him steering Canterbury to the top of the league.
Sexton is a solid organiser with a sound kicking game and will give Perth an experienced No.7 to steer the Bears around the park in their historic first season in 2027.
Campbell, a former Broncos and Cowboys recruiter, said he has no concerns over signing 30 players to ensure the Bears are competitive amid calls for Perth to be given salary-cap concessions.
“There’s no panic here,” Campbell said.
“We are having a lot of very productive meetings at the moment and talking to some pretty handy players.
“We are very optimistic around the roster we are building.
“Jayden Campbell is a good player and he would have been a great signing for us, but he made the decision to stay and we get that, we get his reasons why.
“My personal opinion is the NRL have set the rules we have to play with and we will find a way.
“It will fall into place. There are players we are talking to and we are confident we will build a competitive roster.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Toby Sexton signs two-year deal with Perth Bears as NRL’s newest team lands face of the franchise
Bennett-Gould feud twist: Legends unite amid NRL rule row
