The Bears are back and it’s fair to say club legend Billy Moore is celebrating accordingly.
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“With my lovely wife, I’ve had a glass of champagne already today, this is the biggest day since 1922 … I’m pretty f***ing happy,” Moore told foxsports.com.au.
News broke on Thursday morning that the WA government and the NRL had agreed in principle for the 18th franchise to be based in Perth, entering the competition in 2027.
Partnering the new Western Australia location is the North Sydney Bears heritage, with the iconic rugby league club last featuring in the top flight in 1999.
As a Bears board member, Moore has been privy to the six months of intense negotiations between the NRL and the WA premier Roger Cook, which hit a stumbling block in early April.
But now with both parties budging on their initial proposals, the 211-game club icon can’t believe his dream has become a reality.
“There’s one per cent of me going, ‘Is this real?’. Because it has been a journey, forget about the 26 years we’ve been out, the last six months have been protracted,” Moore said.
“We’ve gone through emotion … the exact nuances aren’t crisp and solid yet but the most important thing that matters to me, my former teammates and the 220-odd thousand fans is that the Bears are back baby, the red and black is there.
“But the other thing we’ve got, is our family has grown. It takes on a WA flavour and when you look at what sport shows you, examples are the best way to see what can happen.
“Last year’s AFL grand final was played between Sydney and Brisbane, but it was South Melbourne plays Fitzroy. It shows the strength of a historical brand moving to a frontier area.
“That frontier area works when the people in it take on that team and buy in. They are taking on a historical brand who have passionate people who have picked themselves off the canvas for 26 years to take this opportunity.”
For fellow club legend David Fairleigh, who played a 193 games for the Bears between 1989 and 1999, their reintroduction is the “best of both worlds”.
“I’m excited in two ways, firstly it is just fantastic to be able to grow the game and to be able to put a team in Western Australia, which clearly they want a team in the west,” he told foxsports.com.au.
“Then to have an association and a connection with the Bears brand and keeping it alive, I think that’s going to make a lot of people very happy. We are getting the best of both worlds.
“It means a lot to see the Bear out there, you only have to look at the support the NSW Cup side have when they roll out.
“There’s a lot of young people who have never heard of the North Sydney Bears but there’s a lot of old people who have passed the legacy on and told their kids about the Bears.”
NRL powerbrokers rejected a bid from a private WA consortium before negotiations began with the WA government to deliver the Perth Bears.
Financial investment was the biggest sticking point in any deal being struck, with comprises being made on both sides regarding the funds injected into a centre of excellent and grassroots programs.
But beyond the financial details, Moore believes the new franchise will have no problems conjuring a new fan base on the west coast, having previously been home to the Western Reds.
“There’s symmetry there, it’s poignant. WA had their own team for three years before they were wrongfully dismissed in 1997,” Moore said.
“They’ve been out for even longer. You’ve got two areas that have waited for their rebirth and it is happening now, I’ll use the word juggernaut. Put that in capitals, that’s what this team will be.
“This opportunity, this brand, this team will be a juggernaut because you are marrying two histories into one future, two cities into one team. I’m excited.”
Fairleigh also pointed to AFL case studies, like the Brisbane Lions and Sydney Swans’ relocations as to why the Bears will work.
“There’s a number of case studies from the AFL that have proven teams can relocate,” he said.
“It’s proven you can leverage the history of the past and I think it’s great one part of that is the modern side of the Bears in a completely new franchise in a new state.
“Then we leverage the old side, the history and the supporter base on the east coast so I think there’s enough evidence to suggest it could work really well.”
HBF Park will be the Bears’ new base, but that doesn’t mean North Sydney Oval fades into oblivion, with Moore confirming the club’s spiritual home will still get used.
“North Sydney Oval will be used initially in a trial game, we have got to iron out 26 years of bug bears in that ground,” he explained.
“A trial game and one competition game in year one would be the status quo and from there we see how it grows.
“You will see the Bears brand, you will see the Bears colours, you will see games at North Sydney Oval. But we live, stay and play in Perth.”
And there’s also one thing that both Moore and Fairleigh are certain of — the Bears’ first clash against the Sea Eagles will be a historic moment.
Before the inception and quick exile of the Northern Eagles, Manly and North Sydney’s rivalry was one of the most bitter in rugby league.
Still to this day fans of the rivals have a disdain for each other, which could spark a staggering turnout that Moore and Fairleigh both believed would pack out Sydney’s biggest stadiums.
NRL agrees for Bears WA expansion | 01:02
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“When the Bears play the Sea Eagles in Sydney, you will have to get a ticket inside five minutes. I don’t know how you’re going to house that game,” Moore said.
“Stop the fight. That’s why playing it at North Sydney Oval, as historic as it is, you might disappoint so many fans you have a riot.
“The marketplace will dictate that and the opportunity for those things is great because of the strength of the brand and the commercial reality will kick in.
“Once you get past the nostalgia, the commercial reality, dollars will decide the eventual make-up of all that stuff. HBF Park I think will sell out from the get go.
“But the lustre and desire to turn up and play the Sea Eagles, stop the fight.”
Fairleigh added: “It’d be great to see the Bears playing Manly, while North Sydney Oval would be good, It’d be great to see the Bears play Manly at Allianz with a full house or Accor with 50,000.”
As the Dolphins did ahead of their inception, one of the toughest tasks will be building a roster that can compete in the NRL.
Moore had some big players in mind to be the club’s marquee stars when they take the field in 2027.
“Without knowing where their contracts are at, give me Kalyn Ponga, he comes off contract,” he said.
“Give me Payne Haas, give me Liam Martin, give me Herbie Farnworth and give me the young edge back rower for the Warriors, Leka Halasima. There’s five.”
Here’s an answer to the key questions surrounding the Perth Bears!
WHEN WILL THE BEARS RETURN?
Their entry is marked for the 2027 season, which would make them the competition’s 18th franchise.
They would then be followed in 2028 by Papua New Guinea, as the 19th franchise.
To return to an even number of teams and produce a 10th match per round, a 20th franchise is widely expected.
A second New Zealand team or another Queensland side have garnered most buzz so far.
WHERE WILL THE BEARS PLAY?
HBF Park is a ready-made home, having welcomed plenty of NRL fixtures. It will host Dolphins v Knights in June this year.
Last year’s Dolphins v Roosters game there attracted a crowd of 20,027, a record since HBF Park became a rectangular venue.
The NRL is hoping for a $200 million redevelopment of HBF Park, to transform the stadium into a rugby league hub similar to that of Parramatta’s CommBank Stadium.
The WA government has reportedly committed to building a $20 million centre of excellence at the Malaga Sports Precinct, alongside $35 million over five years in grassroots development.
WILL THERE BE ANYTHING FOR NORTH SYDNEY?
For the most part, this is a new dawn for the Bears that will be based entirely in Perth.
But there are discussions underway to give a nod to their past.
Moore confirmed that trial would likely be played at North Sydney Oval, with the club hoping to also host one NRL game in their return season.
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