WA BEARS

[Perth Red]

What benefit was it doing? They got thrashed regularly and then COVID came along and killed them. Who graduated from it? Where did it get them?

It was a start and was building. Importantly it was our first elite pathway structure put in place from u14 up to sg ball. We did finish above the bears some years lol
there was the likes of Curtis Rona, Waqa blake, Adam Quinlan who played for pirates and went on to play first grade and plenty more who moved east to play nsw or qlnd cup. yes tne results weren’t great but at least it gave kids a reason to stay in league and not head to union at 16.

 

[SirPies&Beers]

Perth Team Still On NRL's Agenda - But It All Rides On WA Election | The Sporting Base

Perth team still on NRL's agenda - but it all rides on WA election Cook, the 31st premier of Western Australia, has been one of the main drivers behind

thesportingbase.com

 

[BuffaloRules]

Perth Team Still On NRL's Agenda - But It All Rides On WA Election | The Sporting Base

Perth team still on NRL's agenda - but it all rides on WA election Cook, the 31st premier of Western Australia, has been one of the main drivers behind

thesportingbase.com

“There is every chance that Mettam comes to the table of course, but nothing is guaranteed”…

Powerful each way bet there

 

[Iamback]

How many would be part time tradies in an nrl teams nsw cup side? Nrl squads are 30 players all on ft wages.

be very Interesting to see how perth manage with a reserve side on the other side of the country. Logistically it doesn’t really make any sense.

FT squads aren't the issue. Easy enough to get x player on multiple year deal to make it worth them going.

Where teams struggle are in certain positions. Take hooker, It is poor cap management to have more than 2 in the squad.

So you will often see extras added to the squad at various times through the year even just for training purposes.

That is where the quality of the Perth side of juniors needs to come into it.

You can get local guys from the Flegg team to train fulltime for a month or so.

Bears will probably be a block of games type of thing. Like the backup 7 needs some games so he comes across for 3 weeks.

There will be weeks when guys don't play NRL or NSW Cup purely for logistical reasons

 

[SirPies&Beers]

“There is every chance that Mettam comes to the table of course, but nothing is guaranteed”…

Powerful each way bet there

interesting indeed @Wb1234 didnt you says a source stare nrl had informal chats with libs? while this article is very much collated rehash of previous its interesting they mention it.

 

[SirPies&Beers]

FT squads aren't the issue. Easy enough to get x player on multiple year deal to make it worth them going.

Where teams struggle are in certain positions. Take hooker, It is poor cap management to have more than 2 in the squad.

So you will often see extras added to the squad at various times through the year even just for training purposes.

That is where the quality of the Perth side of juniors needs to come into it.

You can get local guys from the Flegg team to train fulltime for a month or so.

Bears will probably be a block of games type of thing. Like the backup 7 needs some games so he comes across for 3 weeks.

There will be weeks when guys don't play NRL or NSW Cup purely for logistical reasons

good summary lambback.

i dont think it’s as big an issue as some make it out. Storms been sending blokes to sunny coast for years and combined its like 3 hour flight. warriors were sending blokes to nsw for years too.yes I get west Aussie is double travel time but as you say it’ll be in blocks and not one off games where locals get sent to cup.

before any of that happens local west aussies blokes need to actually be at grade standard to even make it. So ya probably won’t see many locals for a few years. Maybe a couple here and there. can’t have a quota system either where x amount of west Aussies must be in cup or junior sides cause if they ain’t up to it skill wise, they ain’t up to it. wait until they are. that simples

 

[Bukowski]

It’s going to be at Ken Allen as the state govt and council had committed funding already for major upgrades of a sports complex there. They’ll just add a bit more to the pot for the bears to be there for a couple of years whilst the RL CofE gets built.

Whats surprising is they are going to build the COfE at Malaga. I know it’s not too far down Reid hway from the nice costal suburbs but geez it’s a shtty area to have millionaire sportsmen based in lol. Should have been at bold park as part of the proposed sports precinct linkage there.

It won't be in the industrial area of Malaga. It will be where they are building the sound stage, close to Ballajura train station. I'd say its part of a bigger government development.

 

[Wb1234]

interesting indeed @Wb1234 didnt you says a source stare nrl had informal chats with libs? while this article is very much collated rehash of previous its interesting they mention it.

Yep article confirms what red bear said

 

[Wb1234]

Perth should run their rg side in the qld cup but kids : players based in wa to go with bears own nsw cup team

Best players should be in the Perth team so can easily transition to first grade

 

[Bukowski]

Yep article confirms what red bear said

Good little lap dog. But no, the article doesn't say VLandys had spoken to the libs.

 

[Iamback]

good summary lambback.

i dont think it’s as big an issue as some make it out. Storms been sending blokes to sunny coast for years and combined its like 3 hour flight. warriors were sending blokes to nsw for years too.yes I get west Aussie is double travel time but as you say it’ll be in blocks and not one off games where locals get sent to cup.

before any of that happens local west aussies blokes need to actually be at grade standard to even make it. So ya probably won’t see many locals for a few years. Maybe a couple here and there. can’t have a quota system either where x amount of west Aussies must be in cup or junior sides cause if they ain’t up to it skill wise, they ain’t up to it. wait until they are. that simples

From what I heard. Storm guys don't train with the QCup teams, They fly in on game day. Play and fly home.

They aren't flying to PNG, Mackay etc either. So you are looking at a couple of hours, Not sure that works with Perth.

So getting the local levels good enough is the challenge and needed to go with the Bears side of it

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Perth should run their rg side in the qld cup but kids : players based in wa to go with bears own nsw cup team

Best players should be in the Perth team so can easily transition to first grade

Great idea. A WA team that has linked with a Sydney club should play in Queensland. I assume their coaching staff will be based in Tasmania and their equipment stored in Adelaide?

 

[Perth Red]

Good to see I’m not the only one asking that question;

“It begs the question: Did V’Landys muck it up here a little trying to get more cash squeezed?”

I’m sure vlad will be saved by labor getting re-elected but geez he’s putting a lot at risk just because he didn’t like the western bears bid chairman.

 

[Perth Red]

Good little lap dog. But no, the article doesn't say VLandys had spoken to the libs.

Nothing like a little confirmation bias lol

the article literally says the journo doesn’t know what the Libs position is, Wb reads it that it confirms what he believes.

 

[Wb1234]

Nothing like a little confirmation bias lol

the article literally says the journo doesn’t know what the Libs position is, Wb reads it that it confirms what he believes.

I actually think whoever wrote that article has been reading this thread

On the whole it was a pretty poor article

The only good thing about you and the alts being so negative all the time is any potential weaknesses will have been discussed ad nauseam

 

[Centy Coast]

From what I heard. Storm guys don't train with the QCup teams, They fly in on game day. Play and fly home.

They aren't flying to PNG, Mackay etc either. So you are looking at a couple of hours, Not sure that works with Perth.

So getting the local levels good enough is the challenge and needed to go with the Bears side of it

It’s like the Bears Storm players, the Bears name their team on Tuesday arvo, it never has any Storm contracted players named, then they announce their team one hour before kick off, it has all the Storm players not used by Melbourne named.
Storm players who have been named 18th man but not used are almost always there unless they are under Brisbane Tigers or Sunshine Coast Falcons banner.
Some players who have only played 10 mins of the NRL game that week are still able to play as well.

 

[Perth Red]

It’s like the Bears Storm players, the Bears name their team on Tuesday arvo, it never has any Storm contracted players named, then they announce their team one hour before kick off, it has all the Storm players not used by Melbourne named.
Storm players who have been named 18th man but not used are almost always there unless they are under Brisbane Tigers or Sunshine Coast Falcons banner.
Some players who have only played 10 mins of the NRL game that week are still able to play as well.

Think it’s a bit different re Storm though as there’s only a couple isn’t there?
For WA Bears it will be around 8–10 players potentially? I guess they could fly over those players not in the starting 18 on a friday, play for NS saturday and fly back to Perth Sunday but then they’d need some time off so wouldnt be back training with 1st team until weds and thurs then do it all again.
logistically that sounds a nightmare!

only other option would be to base the 10 WA Bears or so players in NS and not have them train with the WA Bears first team 20 players but not sure that really works either?

it’s also the time difference as much as travel distance. It literally takes all day to get to Sydney during daylight saving time of year. Currently I leave home at 8.30am wast , on plane at 10, land in sydney 5-5.30pm aedt and am at hotel for 6.30pm.

 

[Perth Red]

It won't be in the industrial area of Malaga. It will be where they are building the sound stage, close to Ballajura train station. I'd say its part of a bigger government development.

It’s still not exactly the most salubrious end of town, and not close to where a rich sportsperson would be living.

 

[Centy Coast]

Think it’s a bit different re Storm though as there’s only a couple isn’t there?
For WA Bears it will be around 8–10 players potentially? I guess they could fly over those players not in the starting 18 on a friday, play for NS saturday and fly back to Perth Sunday but then they’d need some time off so wouldnt be back training with 1st team until weds and thurs then do it all again.
logistically that sounds a nightmare!

only other option would be to base the 10 WA Bears or so players in NS and not have them train with the WA Bears first team 20 players but not sure that really works either?

it’s also the time difference as much as travel distance. It literally takes all day to get to Sydney during daylight saving time of year. Currently I leave home at 8.30am wast , on plane at 10, land in sydney 5-5.30pm aedt and am at hotel for 6.30pm.

Yes until the GF the Bears only had 2-3 Storm contracted players each week, I’m guessing that will change this season, the Bears have lost a lot of talent and experience in 2025.
I think you’d find if the Bears NSW Cup team play on Saturday at NSO and the WABears play at HBF on the Sunday, the NRL squad would keep around 21 players with their squad.
Players pull hamstrings warming up etc.
I’ve seen match fit players sitting there some times for three weeks not playing a single game, especially players who are named regularly as the 18th man.

 

[Iamback]

Think it’s a bit different re Storm though as there’s only a couple isn’t there?
For WA Bears it will be around 8–10 players potentially? I guess they could fly over those players not in the starting 18 on a friday, play for NS saturday and fly back to Perth Sunday but then they’d need some time off so wouldnt be back training with 1st team until weds and thurs then do it all again.
logistically that sounds a nightmare!

only other option would be to base the 10 WA Bears or so players in NS and not have them train with the WA Bears first team 20 players but not sure that really works either?

it’s also the time difference as much as travel distance. It literally takes all day to get to Sydney during daylight saving time of year. Currently I leave home at 8.30am wast , on plane at 10, land in sydney 5-5.30pm aedt and am at hotel for 6.30pm.

It is why atleast 2 years is needed, huge investment and sorting of the school/A grade level locally to develop some guys