New Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga will draw on his experience from the early years at the Canberra Raiders as he prepares to bring the NRL’s 18th team to life in 2027.
Meninga, a household name in Australia for his achievements as a player and coach, has been tasked - along with CEO Anthony De Ceglie - with creating a new Perth-based club that links the rugby league community in Western Australia and the heritage of the North Sydney Bears.
The Raiders were the first expansion team to join the premiership from outside Sydney in 1982, along with Illawarra Steelers, and Meninga was among a group of players who helped Canberra develop into a powerhouse.
The rugby league Immortal - a three-times premiership winning captain, who also led Queensland and Australia before later coaching the Raiders, Maroons and Kangaroos - said Canberra's early success would be a blueprint for the Bears.
“I was part of the early years of the Raiders, the first club outside of Sydney, so I am part of that pioneering and I understand that,” Meninga told NRL.com.
“With a one city team, if you have the right people in the right places and have sustainable success, people will follow. They'll be part of that.
“If you're part of the community, there's a sense of belonging - the community feels that there's a sense of belonging and they'll follow you. That's the type of environment you want to try to have.
“I loved being part of the Raiders early in the piece. From there, we had a lot of success and then all of a sudden we would become part of the community.”
Meninga, who has stood down as Kangaroos coach after eight seasons and two World Cup wins, will officially start in his new position on July 1.
His first task will be to determine an identity for the new franchise which appeals to fans in Western Australia, who have been wanting a team in the NRL since the demise of the Perth Reds in 1997, and North Sydney supporters, who have been fighting for the return of the Bears since 2000.
“We need to understand what makes up a Perth Bear. I think that's really important from a startup position and then you build from there,” Meninga said.
“That's how you start to develop your culture and that sense of belonging, and that's how you start to recruit.
“It's a great opportunity, but you've got to think about what will get everyone over on the East Coast excited about the Perth Bears, and what's going to get people on the West Coast excited about the Perth Bears.
“It's about the growth of the game in WA but also at the same time, with the Perth Bears, it’s actually understanding the North Sydney Bears, and their history and heritage, and how you bring them along on that journey.
“I’ll be chatting to the people that have been influential in keeping the fires burning. I think that's a really important part of it all, and then trying to understand who are the Western Australian rugby league community and who are Western Australians.
“What makes Western Australians so successful in sport, because they're always renowned for their sporting prowess and their sporting teams have always had success; they're always punching above their weight and that's what we want to do.”
While the Bears don't join the NRL until 2027 and Meninga can't begin signing players before November 1, the game will have a strong presence in Perth with Origin II on June 18 and the Dolphins host the Knights on June 21.
“This is bigger than me," Meninga said. "I'm really excited and I'm really anxious. It's a huge responsibility to be given this opportunity, and I think it's fantastic, but it's bigger than me.
“I’ve got a tenure there where, with a lot of other great people, we are going to build a foundation that hopefully will be the start of a great future for Western Australian rugby league."
New Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga will draw on his experience from the early years at the Canberra as he takes charge of the NRL's 18th franchise.
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