Former RFL media manager PETER ROWE now calls Western Australia home, as editor in chief of First Nations News, which is based in Perth. He is looking forward, along with thousands of Rugby League fans, to the return of the game to the west coast.

AN IMAGE of the legendary North Sydney winger Ken Irvine stared out guests as they gathered in Perth to recognise the first ever board meeting of the Perth Bears late last year. 

Before Alex Johnston overtaking him this season, ‘Mongo’ still held the Australian record for the number of club tries in a first-class career – 212 – that saw him become the darling of North Sydney Oval from 1958 to 1970.

Irvine made 176 appearances for the Bears in their famous red and black colours, as well as 31 caps for the Kangaroos and 24 appearances for NSW.

Now, 35 years after he passed away, his image was being used to announce the return of the Bears brand.

Not a ‘rebirth’, Chairman Ben Morton insisted.

“The Perth Bears are not a relocation, not a merger, not an amalgamation, not a takeover, not a successful bid or an amalgamation, not a takeover, not a successful bid with developed and approved plans, and not an existing club being granted an NRL licence like the Dolphins,” Morton told the 100 specially invited guests at the event. 

“We are brand new! We are more like a start-up company.”

And this ‘start-up’ is preparing to become the 18th franchise of the National Rugby League.

A ‘new’ team perhaps, but one with so much history.

And one that spans coast to coast, or “ocean to ocean” as new director and former Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey said at the time.

“I grew up under that fig tree,” the lifelong North Sydney fan and member said, referring to the famous Moreton Bay fig tree located at North Sydney Oval.

In the 1996 Federal election Hockey bought a bus which he painted in the colours of the Bears and parked it across the electorate to raise awareness.

Many wondered if Joe would help fund a bus to raise awareness in Perth.

As it turned out the bus wasn’t needed. Recently the membership of the NRL’s newest team still to take the field passed 20,000.

The concept of having a team that stretches from ocean to ocean is compelling,” the former Ambassador is compelling,” the former Ambassador to the USA said.

“I spoke to a few people here in the West about what they wanted and it was totally in synch with the Bears, who I supported since I was knee-high to a grasshopper.

“I have red and black flowing through my veins.

“This is an incredible opportunity for Western Australia to be part of the most watched sport in Australia.”

“We want to create a Bears family that stretches across the country.”

The knock-on effect of an NRL team in Perth has already begun to bear fruit.

The NRLWA has received calls from schools asking about adding the sport to the curriculum.

“It means Rugby League will be exposed to more boys and girls and that will feed directly into the junior club system,” NRLWA chief executive John Sackson told local radio the morning after the event.

WA Premier Roger Cook, a former local player, whose influence has made this franchise a reality, said it could see a massive increase in participation.

“It’s great to acknowledge this first meeting of the board,” the Premier said.

“And it also great to acknowledge the great history of Rugby League in WA. 

“Perth are a new club with a great history; we can really savour this moment.

“We know there is a huge supporter base here and we know people will come to Western Australia to watch games, so it has tremendous economic impact.”

“We are there to support wherever we can to put a competitive team on the field in 2027.”

MC Ollie Peterson, an outspoken advocate for the Bears on his 6PR radio show, managed a Q&A session with head coach Mal Meninga, former North Sydney hero Greg Florimo and former Western Red Matt Fuller.

Meninga joked that if the media was to be believed, every Kangaroo and Origin player was about to become a Bear.

So how did it all happen for Meninga, a giant in the game?

“I was just having a conversation with the Chairman of the commission (Peter V’Landys) about the Kangaroos and he mentioned the Bears opportunity,” Meninga said.

“We had a chat about where the game was heading and he asked me whether I would be interested.

“All of a sudden I was having interviews with the committee and I got the job.” 

For Meninga, it’s a massive job.

“We’ve got to get our foundations right and understand what our identity is. Once we get all that done we can move forward. The board members are very instrumental in setting that up.”

Strategic planning behind the scenes had already begun.

“We’ve got to put a roster together –  top 30 – plus development players. There’s a lot to do,” Meninga added.

One piece of the jigsaw already in place was assistant coach Ben Gardiner.

Currently the Samoan national coach, Gardiner has premierships under his belt with the Panthers as assistant coach and an impressive resumé that includes coaching roles at the Roosters, in New Zealand, the Sharks, the Rabbitohs and the Tigers.

He was also head coach of the North Sydney Bears in the NSW Cup, so there is a link already.

“I got a call I wasn’t expecting from the ARLC asking if I was interested,” he said. 

Having signed a five-year contract, Gardiner is keen to make a big impression early. He plans to move with his partner to the city and wants to be involved in the game from grassroots up.

Meninga has previously called Gardiner one of the best and brightest young coaches in the game.

“And he has Bears DNA as well,” the coach told the NRL upon Gardiner’s appointment.

For Ben, it’s an exciting time ahead.

After receiving a call from the Australian Rugby League Commission, he had a conversation and a meeting and one thing led to another.

From a strength and conditioning coach to high performance to football manager to coach and his current role assisting Ivan Cleary at the Panthers, it’s been a long journey.

“I coached the Bears for three years, so I know the structure and fabric,” he explained.

He coached defence in New Zealand and is currently responsible for Penrith’s free-flowing attack.

“What we would like to do here at the Bears is develop young guys from Western Australia as we grow the club,” he added.

Recruitment has proven to be a challenge, especially after the PNG Chiefs were announced as the 19th franchise earlier this year – a club able to offer tax-free salaries.

Wests and former Penrith halfback Jarome Lual and South Sydney winger Alex Johnston were their first big-name signings.

But Perth already have 21 signings in the bag, including Harry Newman, James McDonnell and Mikolaj Oledzki from Leeds Rhinos.

There are spots on the roster still to be filled as work continues on a new training ground behind Perth’s iconic WACA cricket ground, on the banks of the Swan river.

Chief executive Anthony DeCeglie is another who has hit the ground running. He has had his hands full building the foundations of the club literally from the ground up.

A media executive and former newspaper editor, he acknowledged his world had changed.

“They say in the media if you want a friend, get a dog,” he joked.

No dogs have been spotted at HBF Park since that first gathering – only Bears – and friendly Bears at that.

DeCeglie said the club had vastly underestimated the foundation membership drive in April and May. By the end of June, when it ended, 20,500 had signed up.

In a city where Aussie Rules has been the number one sport for decades, a new kid on the block is about to challenge that status quo.

Not since the days of the Western Reds 30 years ago has the world’s most isolated city seen such a clamour for Rugby League, almost certainly guaranteeing a sellout crowd when the Bears emerge from hibernation next March.

Perth Bears current signings: Jasais Ah Kee (St George Illawarra Dragons), Mason Barber (Mackay Cutters), Emarly Bitungane (London Broncos), Josh Curran (Canterbury Bulldogs), Isaac Fa’asuamaleaui (Catalans Dragons), Mavrik Geyer (Wests Tigers), Liam Henry (Penrith Panthers), Kit Laulilii (Wests Tigers), Luke Laulilii (Wests Tigers), James McDonnell (Leeds Rhinos), Nick Meaney (Melbourne Storm), Harry Newman (Leeds Rhinos), Mikolaj Oledzki (Leeds Rhinos), Sean Russell (Parramatta Eels), Toby Sexton (Catalans Dragons), Luke Smith (London Broncos), Scott Sorensen (Penrith Panthers), Siosifa Talakai (Cronulla Sharks), Apa Twidle (Parramatta Eels), Chris Vea’ila (Cronulla Sharks), Tyran Wishart (Melbourne Storm)