Are the Perth Bears the NRL's insurance policy for PNG?

Australia Broadcast Center

3 days ago

Papua New Guinea was the talk of the rugby league world when it was announced a club based out of Port Moresby would join the NRL in 2028.
In recent weeks however, the focus has shifted to another newcomer, the Perth Bears, who will join the NRL a year before PNG in 2027.
Unlike PNG, the Bears are close to a finished product. They have a long-standing brand forged in North Sydney, an established talent pathway and strong commercial backing.
Now one researcher is wondering if the Bears are an insurance policy for the NRL in case a PNG struggles to get up and running.
FEATURED:
Hugh Piper, director at Ancrum Advisory