The Actual 18th Team: Perth Bears

[Waz13]

Part of the problem that day was ex-Bear prop Martin Bella (by then at Manly) bagging Norths credentials prior to the game. Giving the latter something to prove. Well done Marty, you ****wit. I don’t think he was too popular with his Manly teammates afterwards.

Billy Moore was about to join Manly earlier in his career, before changing his mind and joining the Bears instead. He seems to have had a chip on his shoulder (about Manly) ever since.

Thanks Tez, yeah I was like 12 at the time and funnily recall something about that Bella stuff. This was really my first proper finals experience as a true manly fan. I did catch some of the Tigers win and Broncs loss the year before but in 1990 I was following a few teams. Mainly based on which logo I liked! I remember in 91 looking forward to that bears game all day and was devastated when they lost. Funny actually, I grew up in NZ and the Bears had quite a strong fan base there. Similar to Ridge at Manly at the time, due to Halligan playing with them.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

The thing that I dont understand is have they gauged there's enough support over there to make it even work, how many North Sydney Bears fans are going to make a 5 hour flight to Perth for a home game, i dont know what's worse the PNG team or the Bears

At least PNG will garner a gazillion viewers up there , but yes their away crowds will be tiny.

 

[double hoops]

All but locked in for a 2027 return to the NRL.

This will push the PNG team back to the 19th team, and entering in 2028.

The Bears are back! NRL and WA government’s revised agreement for 18th franchise confirmed

The Bears are back! NRL and WA’s revised agreement for 18th franchise confirmed

www.foxsports.com.au

Setting PNG up to fail if they enter the scene 12 months after the Black and Reds. Playing pool will have nothing left. Either Enter the same year and compete equally, or 4 years between em.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

At least PNG will garner a gazillion viewers up there , but yes their away crowds will be tiny.

Not so sure. Foxtel? free to air?
Population of PNG is about 10 mil but only 13% of homes own a tv set.

 

[XV-1]

What happens to the Bears NSW Cup team that is a feeder into the Melbourne Storm?

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Not so sure. Foxtel? free to air?
Population of PNG is about 10 mil but only 13% of homes own a tv set.

Ah, well I didn’t know that

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Ah, well I didn’t know that

But each tv owner will probably have lots of visitors at game time so ...!
Common sense says surely it'll be free to air. It must be one of the poorest countries in the world?

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

But each tv owner will probably have lots of visitors at game time so ...!
Common sense says surely it'll be free to air. It must be one of the poorest countries in the world?

Yeah it’s subsistence farming to survive up there , I’ve been a couple of times.

It’s like the wild Wild West in some areas

 

[globaleagle]

Death, drugs and dirty deeds: A brief, bizarre history of every Western Reds player

Death, drugs and dirty deeds: A brief, bizarre history of every Western Reds player

www.foxsports.com.au

The Bears will make a return to the NRL after nearly three decades, with the foundation club resurrected in Western Australia.

And this year marks the 30th anniversary of elite rugby league’s first foray into Perth, with the Western Reds — who debuted in the 1995 ARL competition, before folding as the Perth Reds after the conclusion of the 1997 Super League.

There was no place for them in the unified NRL when it began in 1998, despite strong early support from fans in the west — so a Perth team will be appearing in this iteration of the competition for the first time, with a roster built from scratch.

The 54 players who represented the Reds during their three-year existence were eclectic, to say the least.

 

[Stuey Davis’s Socks]

Thanks GE. Interesting article. Four ex-Eagles amongst the 54 Reds players:

• Craig Innes
• Jamie Olejnik
• Jon Grieve
• Chris Ryan

with the latter holding the Reds’ all time try scoring and total points records (and probably more female fans hearts than any other player!).

 

[mosto]

I actually think this is great. Keep pushing the national expansion..... its the only way to grow the game.
Welcome back to the bears. They deserve a crack

I respectfully disagree. They were a terribly run club who misinformed Manly of the level of their debt prior to the merger. As a result the merger was doomed to fail before it began and they nearly took Manly under with them.

Since then they’ve attached their brand to any consortium looking to expand, from the Central Coast, to PNG, and now Perth.

They offer nothing other than a logo, the WA government and the NRL are bankrolling this, the Bears are just attaching themselves like a parasite.