Perth Bears raid Brisbane Broncos to sign Dane Campbell as recruitment manager
Rugby league's newest franchise has put the rest of the NRL on notice, with the Perth Bears stealing a prized asset from powerhouse club the Broncos.
Peter Badel and
Michael Carayannis
3 min read
September 10, 2025 - 11:17AM
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NRL: The Gold Coast Titans have lodged a complaint with the NRL following the actions of a departing recruitment boss who has been linked with the Perth Bears.
Mal Meninga’s Perth Bears have raided the Broncos ranks by poaching Dane Campbell to be their inaugural recruitment boss.
The Bears are building their front office with former Brisbane development staffer Campbell appointed as recruitment manager, while Ian Millward will be Perth’s elite pathways manager.
A former NRL player at Newcastle in 2005, Campbell only recently joined the Broncos after serving as Cowboys recruitment chief, but the Bears have raided Red Hill to snare the highly-rated talent spotter.
Former Titans recruitment boss Ezra Howe had been linked to the Bears post, but his recent
integrity scandal involving the Gold Coast has opened the door for the Bears to target Campbell ahead of their entry to the NRL in 2027.
“I am incredibly excited by the opportunity to join the Bears and work alongside some incredible people that have achieved so much in both rugby league and the corporate world,” Campbell said.
“Perth is a great sporting city and I truly believe that we can build a team from the ground up that the community will be proud to call their own.
The Bears have signed Dane Campbell to head up their recruitment.
“Mal (Meninga) has a proven track record of being able to unite high-performing teams and set great culture and values, which I am confident he will be able to instil in the Bears.”
Campbell will work closely with Millward, who has decades of experience in the game across Australia and the UK.
Millward has spent more than a decade at the Dragons in a range of positions from assistant NRL coach to heading up recruitment.
The former North Queensland interim coach has more recently worked as the Dragons’ pathway recruitment officer.
“I’m honoured to accept the role with the Perth Bears as the club enters the NRL,” Millward said.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help build strong foundations for the future of rugby league in WA.
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo with Perth coach Mal Meninga and Bears chief executive Anthony De Ceglie. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images
“I look forward to working with players, coaches and the community as we develop pathways that will support long-term success at the elite level.”
Meninga said Campbell and Millward were “considered and smart appointments for the Perth Bears”.
“The enormity of the task shouldn’t be underestimated,” he said.
“They give me a great sense of confidence having them in our cave. In line with the Bears values of being forward facing and bold; we will continue to have the very best of talent within our team.”
Perth Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie said Campbell would bring a pioneering spirit to the job, with his experience growing the game in places such as Jamaica, Vanuatu, the West Indies and Singapore.
“Dane’s identification, negotiation and management of NRL playing lists is second-to-none,” he said.
“We are very confident he is the perfect fit to help prepare the Perth Bears for a successful debut NRL season in 2027.
“And Ian Millward’s experience across so many facets of the game will be invaluable to the organisation on every level.”
The Dragons have also announced Michael Ennis as Shane Flanagan’s assistant coach after Ryan Carr took on a head coaching position at Castleford.
Ennis and Flanagan combined to help Cronulla win the title in 2016 with Flanagan as coach and Ennis as hooker.
“It’s exciting to be able to welcome Mick to the Dragons,” Flanagan said. “He brings with him a wealth of experience and a diverse range of knowledge. He’s played under and worked alongside some of the game’s best coaches and will add a lot to our coaching staff here at the Dragons.”
Ennis – who spent one season at the Dragons as a player in 2005 – most recently worked at Manly who are now in talks with NSW coach Laurie Daley about a position.
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