Bears Confirmed & Rumoured Signings

Wb1234 · Nov 26, 2025

SirPies&Beers said:
because you 2 are jumping at shadows. gobbling the media's meaty shlong of negativity because maybe thats how yas are wired. not sure.

Nah once November 1 happened and there wasn’t a lot of signings I was wondering what’s up

Then seen the two titans players brush them and Perth making desperate offers

As I said dolphins had announced kaufisi by this time

Red&BlackBear · Nov 26, 2025

Gobsmacked said:
Ahh I see.
That's what's going wrong! Players are bought in to be sold the dream and handed a contract on fold up plastic table from Bunnings!
Get it sorted!

It’s top of the agenda.

Wb1234 said:
Nah once November 1 happened and there wasn’t a lot of signings I was wondering what’s up

Then seen the two titans players brush them and Perth making desperate offers

As I said dolphins had announced kaufisi by this time

I’ll reiterate this one last time - and I’m only doing it because Ben Morton said as much in his chat this morning at the corporate business breakfast held by Norths - there are players locked in already and just because the media isn’t privy to it or the club hasn’t formally announced it doesn’t mean much.

Gobsmacked said:
we've had our daily " trust us bro" now move on lol

Then I’ll say it once more for today. Trust me bro.

jezmond · Nov 26, 2025

Gobsmacked said:
Whatever reason?
Recruitment has been a disaster.
The only noise coming out of Perth is when they want to pillage other clubs talent.
Perth were brought in to add something.
They really lost me when they went so hard for J Cambell, he's father was a star for the Titans, now he's playing great, not only does he bring a true homegrown feel to the Titans, he has the ability to finally bring success to the struggling club. If they got him, it would have been not only a blow to the Titans but the sport in general and a leg up to the AFL.
Mal has no morals in recruitment, when he was QLD coach he was always putting pressure on Islander boys to turn their back on their country and play for QLD, luckily they made it so they can represent both. Then when he was the roos coach, did the same thing, put Ponga through it when he knew he wants to play for the Kiwis.

He has no moral standard and shows f**k all abilities to recognize talent outside of who's obvious.

I really want Perth to do well but so far it's the worst start anyone could hope for, the worst.
I'm disappointed and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Now the papers are onto it( a little late).

How much will it take for people on here to admit that it's a shit sandwich? And it all rests on Mal
And most agreed it wasn't the best fit for the role.

You can make your point/criticisms without the hyperbole, doing so would generate more balanced discussions.

You’ve clearly got an issue with Mal but it’s November 2025 - still a long way to go until the start of the 2027 season. Maybe hold off on pulling the trigger until then.

SirPies&Beers · Nov 26, 2025

jezmond said:
You can make your point/criticisms without the hyperbole, doing so would generate more balanced discussions.

You’ve clearly got an issue with Mal but it’s November 2025 - still a long way to go until the start of the 2027 season. Maybe hold off on pulling the trigger until then.

agreed. its posters who cant split apart the differences between over sensationalistic reporting for click baits versus conceptualizing reality of how long things take in a real world running on real time.

Wb1234 · Nov 26, 2025

SirPies&Beers said:
agreed. its posters who cant split apart the differences between over sensationalistic reporting for click baits versus conceptualizing reality of how long things take in a real world running on real time.

I’ve mostly been a fan of your posts but I went back and checked and you posted five negative articles

Indeed most of all the recent stuff is all negative so to say people are just being too negative you know maybe read the posts you link lol

Sexton and Burton would make me less worried.

Dogs seem keen on shedding players so timing is good for Perth

SirPies&Beers · Nov 26, 2025

Wb1234 said:
I’ve mostly been a fan of your posts but I went back and checked and you posted five negative articles

Indeed most of all the recent stuff is all negative so to say people are just being too negative you know maybe read the posts you link lol

Sexton and Burton would make me less worried.

Dogs seem keen on shedding players so timing is good for Perth

i do read them but the articles of heresay doesnt influence my view.
i would rather trust the people who have a track record and not the same journos/media who have been wrong in regards to perth bears for over a year on multiple things.

Gobsmacked · Nov 26, 2025

SirPies&Beers said:
agreed. its posters who cant split apart the differences between over sensationalistic reporting for click baits versus conceptualizing reality of how long things take in a real world running on real time.

Mate, I was saying their strategy is wrong and they've missed the jump before an article was posted.
An already monumental task of building a squad from scratch on the other side of the country has missed the jump, missed opportunity and alerted all opposition to the threat they pose without hitting a single target.

I'm sure they'll have something to announce soon as we're assured but it's far short of where they should be.
And that's not just what I think, that's their own goals of signing at least 10 players before Christmas.

Growthegame · Nov 26, 2025

8 isn’t much short of 10

Growthegame · Nov 26, 2025

@Centy Coast did you attend this morning as planned as well?

Anything in regards to the questions posed?

Wb1234 · Nov 26, 2025

Gobsmacked said:
Mate, I was saying their strategy is wrong and they've missed the jump before an article was posted.
An already monumental task of building a squad from scratch on the other side of the country has missed the jump, missed opportunity and alerted all opposition to the threat they pose without hitting a single target.

I'm sure they'll have something to announce soon as we're assured but it's far short of where they should be.
And that's not just what I think, that's their own goals of signing at least 10 players before Christmas.

Meninga is begging for salary cap exemptions and other allowances cause the recruitment a going do well

I thought moving to Perth wouldn’t be such an impediment to be fair with the lack of traffic crime and cheaper house prices v Sydney

Gobsmacked · Nov 26, 2025

Growthegame said:
8 isn’t much short of 10

They've signed 8 ?
Since when?
I only heard about 1

Wb1234 · Nov 26, 2025

Gobsmacked said:
They've signed 8 ?
Since when?
I only heard about 1

I posted a quote from an article which I can’t find which says they have signed eight

Maybe they are keeping quiet they have gotten Burton sexton kilau micky lewis and ponga under wraps for later

Perth Red · Nov 26, 2025

Gobsmacked said:
Strange isn't it. Dolphins copped it when they had signed more players and the head coach was the most successful in the games history..
But everyone is comfortable with the situation in Perth.. we've had our daily " trust us bro" now move on lol

TBF it was only equivalent of today that Kaufusi was signed by Dolphins. Before that they only had two train and trial players signed. Got to accept that Perth was starting from scratch where as Redcliffe had the decision making structure already in place. still 13 months to go.

other thing to consider is what players will be in Bears NSW cup and Tigers QRL cup sides in 2026 that may earn a contract with Perth Bears?

Centy Coast · Nov 26, 2025

Perth Red said:
TBF it was only equivalent of today that Kaufusi was signed by Dolphins. Before that they only had two train and trial players signed. Got to accept that Perth was starting from scratch where as Redcliffe had the decision making structure already in place. still 13 months to go.

other thing to consider is what players will be in Bears NSW cup and Tigers QRL cup sides in 2026 that may earn a contract with Perth Bears?

With the Melbourne Storm the last two years both the Bears and the Tigers got a good go with players from the Storm in 2024, some players even swapped teams, in 2025 the Tigers didn’t get many Storm players, with the Sunshine Coast Falcons receiving the majority.

Centy Coast · Nov 27, 2025

Growthegame said:
@Centy Coast did you attend this morning as planned as well?

Anything in regards to the questions posed?

Nah I got called into work, I had a good run down of this mornings networking meeting but I haven’t heard anything from this afternoons gathering.
All I can say is that players have been signed, who ?, I have no idea, when their signings will be announced ?, also no idea.
Also some players who have been mentioned in the press have not even been approached by the Bears, no doubt player managers using the Bears to prop up their clients asking price.
So not much to reveal, from my own perspective, yes players have been signed, there is alot happening behind the scenes, negotiations have been and are taking place.
Now that the Bears have set up their junior and NRL pathways, things will start moving along.

Growthegame · Nov 27, 2025

Centy Coast said:
Also some players who have been mentioned in the press have not even been approached by the Bears, no doubt player managers using the Bears to prop up their clients asking price.

Thanks.

Dolphins have been quite open that is what happened to them as well. I love formerly posted on here that is what is happening with Bears as well.

SirPies&Beers · Nov 27, 2025

Broncos duo Gehamat Shibasaki and Jesse Arthars become top NRL targets for Perth Bears

As the NRL’s newest franchise continues to shape their new identity, a pair of Brisbane Broncos have drawn the interest of Mal Meninga and his side.

November 27, 2025 - 4:00AM
News Sport Network
The Bears are targeting star Broncos duo Gehamat Shibasaki and Jesse Arthars as Brisbane boss Dave Donaghy concedes the premiers could be picked apart by expansion newcomers Perth and PNG.

Code Sports understands the besieged Bears, who have come under fire for struggling to land a marquee recruit, have Shibasaki and Arthars on their radar to spearhead their NRL entry in 2027.

Shibasaki and Arthars are off-contract at the Broncos at the end of next season, making them free agents from November 1, opening the door for the Bears to strike.

The salary-cap pressures imposed by the fruits of premiership success leaves the Broncos vulnerable to poaching raids.

The 27-year-old Arthars was unlucky to be overlooked for Brisbane’s grand final-winning team this year, while Shibasaki is due for a mega upgrade after a remarkable lifeline from the Broncos.

Broncos coach Michael Maguire is a fan of both players and wants to keep them, but Donaghy admits Brisbane will face the retention challenges that have beset other premiership teams, most recently the Panthers.

Will either of the Brisbane boys head west?

The Broncos chief executive says there is a more localised danger than rugby’s R360 rebel competition, pointing to the imminent admission of Perth and Papua New Guinea in 2027-28.

“If we’re fair dinkum, Perth and PNG will be a greater threat (to the Broncos) than this R360 stuff,” Donaghy said.

“The challenge is the salary cap.

“At the end of the day, you have a pie that has to be cut up across a really talented group of young men and women and over time we will have to say hard goodbyes to people.

“That is always really difficult, but we will step through that when the challenge arises.

“If we keep investing in areas that can make us a destination club where players want to come, then hopefully players don’t want to leave.”

Arthars is on around $350,000 at the Broncos, but may be on the lookout for a new challenge with Perth after being snubbed by Maguire for this year’s premiership charge.

The versatile winger, fullback or centre has been excellent for the Broncos, scoring 31 tries from 74 games, and was added to Queensland’s extended squad for this year’s Origin series.

Shibasaki, meanwhile, could earn a massive pay rise if he defected to the Bears.

Shibasaki entered the season as a development player and ended it as a Kangaroo.

He joined Brisbane this year on an $80,000 development deal, bolstered by $3000 match payments for every game he played. Shibasaki finished the season with 25 games, equating to a $75,000 bonus at Brisbane, while he also pocketed $30,000 for his shock Queensland Origin debut, plus an additional $13,000 for his dream call-up for Australia’s Ashes series.

That means Shibasaki made around $198,000 this year, but his sensational 2025 campaign could see him earn upwards of $450,000 as a foundation centre in Perth.

It’s understood Arthars and Shibasaki are among a host of names on the Bears’ hit list for their debut season in 2027.

The Panthers lost a posse of players during their four-peat premiership dynasty and Donaghy is determined to keep Brisbane’s star-studded squad intact.

“The challenge is for us to keep focused on what we are doing internally,” he said.

“We can’t worry about the white noise and who is signing where.

https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/broncos-duo-gehamat-shibasaki-and-jesse-arthars-become-top-nrl-targets-for-perth-bears/news-story/7ad2e228223fb1e3a82ea4b4aaafb824

article click head line says latest targets and desperate but zero tackle covered this weeks ago