IT has been one hell of a week in rugby league land. Besides all the on-field wizardry from teams coming back from insurmountable odds, another comeback for the ages also took place.
The Perth Bears were announced as the 18th team in the NRL! In what has seemed like an age to get this franchise over the line, it was finally ticked off by both the West Australian government as well as the Australian Rugby League commission.
They will enter the competition in 2027, with the 19th franchise the PNG consortium coming into the NRL a year later. The 20th team, most likely another QLD based team or another team playing out of New Zealand South Island, making it a 20 team comp by around 2030!
How good!
Now, I have firsthand intel about a team playing out of Western Australia because I played for the Western Reds for the 1995, 1996, and 1997 seasons. Back then not a lot was known about WA rugby league other than they would be entering the ARL competition with three other franchises, the North Queensland Cowboys, the NZ Warriors, and the South Queensland Crushers.
I personally signed on with the Reds whilst playing for Balmain in the 1993 season.
The late great Peter Mullholland, who was to be the Western reds inaugural coach came calling whilst I was wallowing in a couple of years in the Rugby League wilderness.
He promised a competitive team, a chance to be a trailblazer, and the number one selling point “you will have guaranteed anonymity in Perth” Got me!
My wife Meags and I left for Perth in October of 1994, 8 months pregnant with our first son Logan. It was quickly realised upon landing in Perth and driving out of the airport on our way to our new lodgings in South Perth that the anonymity part of ‘Skulls” spiel may not have been as accurate as the great man first touted. For as we drove out of the exit gate at the airport there was a gigantic billboard of me, arms crossed, shirt off, with a snarl telling Western Australians “I’Im coming for ya Perth!” ha ha. I dont even remember posing for that particular photo.
But we quickly settled, had our first child, and realised that most of the other imports were there for the same reason as me, for a second chance!
I’ll always cherish my time in Perth and look back on it lovingly. It was something special being a pioneer in an AFL dominated state, but we quickly learnt to co-exist with the West Coast Eagles and the Freemantle Dockers.
In fact, Pete Mullholland encouraged us to meet, mingle, and hang out with our AFL contemporaries. An astute move from Skull, for as we trained with both teams we began to have a better understanding of each other’s codes.
It was also good for our street credit to have both coaches Mick Malthouse (Eagle) and Gerard Neesham (Dockers) sitting in the stands for our inaugural game at the WACA in front of 25,000 fans against the Dragons. Which we won convincingly. The Reds had arrived.
Unfortunately almost as soon as we arrived so did a break away league called Super League. Suffice to say other than the enormous contracts everyone was signing, the game itself was on its knees.
Things have changed.
This time there is no Super League breakaway to get in the road. And both the WA government and the NRL commission are fans, so are most of the Rugby League fraternity.
I’ve got no doubt a team in Western Australia will be competitive, I’ve also got no doubt, and some free advice to any player thinking about the move? Do it! You will have the time of your footy life.
Its a great time to be a player in the NRL, it is just about to become even more exciting….
See you at the game….
Don’t forget, if you’re looking for a new car contact my great mate at Sinclair Hyundai, Toby Hughes.
