Bears' huge task revealed as coach announcement looms
Mal Meninga has a mighty task to make the Perth Bears competitive from the outset as history paints a bleak picture of the NRL's expansion teams in their early years.
The NRL is poised to unveil Meninga as the Bears' head coach this week, with the rugby league legend expected to relinquish his post in charge of the Australian national team to take the helm in 2027.
The nine-time State of Origin series-winning coach is understood to have beaten South Sydney great Sam Burgess and former Parramatta boss Brad Arthur to the role, his first in charge of a club since 2001.
The appointment of household name Meninga is expected to help generate big interest in the AFL-mad city, which has not had a team since the Western Reds folded in 1997.
But a tough task looms for Meninga amid the excitement of the Bears' return to the NRL, 25 years after their Northern Eagles merger with Manly collapsed.
Some 14 expansion teams have joined the NRL and its predecessors since 1982, when the league first began to expand out of Sydney.
Only two of those teams, the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm, played finals in their first two seasons.
Even then, the Broncos only made it to a play-off game to reach the official post-season in 1989, losing that match to Cronulla.
Among the 12 remaining teams, only one - the Auckland Warriors of 1995 - had a winning record in either of their first two seasons, while three picked up the wooden spoon in the same time-frame.
Only six of the 12 remaining are still in the league in their current format, the vast majority of others folding in the aftermath of the 1997 Super League War.
The last Perth expansion team, the Reds, did not play finals in any of their three seasons, the best of those an 11th-placed finish in 1995 that ended with a respectable 50 per cent winning record.
The statistics come after Wayne Bennett told AAP last month coaching an expansion team was one of rugby league's bigger challenges.
NRL HQ considers the Dolphins expansion project a big success for its nationwide fan community and ability to challenge the Broncos for airtime in rugby league heartland Brisbane.
But even then, master coach Bennett did not lead the team to finals in their first two years, and the team sits outside the top eight at the halfway mark of their third campaign.
"(Coaching an expansion team) sounds like a lot of fun but it can be a journey to nowhere," South Sydney coach Bennett told AAP last month.
"It's an extremely tough gig and it's not something I would recommend for anyone to take up."
EXPANSION TEAMS THAT PLAYED FINALS IN THEIR FIRST TWO SEASONS:-
Brisbane Broncos: 7th (1988), 6th^ (1989)
Melbourne Storm: 3rd^ (1998), 3rd^ (1999)
EXPANSION TEAMS THAT MISSED FINALS IN THEIR FIRST TWO SEASONS
Canberra Raiders: 14th* (1982), 10th (1983)
Illawarra Steelers: 13th (1982), 12th (1983)
Newcastle Knights: 14th (1988), 7th (1989)
Gold Coast/Tweed Heads Giants: 15th (1988), 13th (1989)
South Queensland Crushers: 16th (1995), 20th* (1996)
Western Reds: 11th (1995), 16th (1996)
North Queensland Cowboys: 20th* (1995), 17th (1996)
The Warriors: 10th (1995), 11th (1996)
Adelaide Rams: 9th (1997, Super League), 17th (1998)
Hunter Mariners: 6th (1997, Super League), N/A (1998)
Gold Coast Titans: 12th (2007), 13th (2008)
The Dolphins: 13th (2023), 10th (2024)
^denotes the team played finals
*denotes the team finished last
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Dropped DCE has little to prove, but data says Manly do
Anthony Seibold insists Daly Cherry-Evans has nothing to prove following his State of Origin axing, as Manly try to right a poor run on the road against low-ranked teams. Cherry-Evans will play his first game on Friday night since being dropped as Queensland No.7, leading a near full-strength Sea Eagles side against Gold Coast. The 36-year-old's Origin omission has dominated headlines this week, with Cherry-Evans the first captain dropped mid-series by either state this century. Manly's No.7 has not spoken publicly, but played one of his best games of the year a fortnight ago against Brisbane when talk first emerged around his selection. Seibold did not want to delve into the debate around Queensland's decision to drop Cherry-Evans, but said the halfback had responded well. "He hasn't got anything to prove," the Manly coach said. "He's coming up somewhere around 340 games in the NRL, plus all the representative footy, so he doesn't have a point to prove to anybody. "There's obvious disappointment there, but there's also a great deal of pride. "(He's captained) his state 20 times and he's played 26 games for Queensland, so there's a lot to reflect on and look back and be proud about." Manly will have Tom Trbojevic back from a cork to his thigh, while winger Jason Saab will return from illness and Siua Taukeiaho a calf issue. That means the Sea Eagles enter Friday night as firm favourites, with the Titans in last place and without Origin representatives Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Moeaki Fotuaika. Recent history is, however, not kind to Manly in games they have been expected to win. Data from Sportsbet shows the Sea Eagles have lost their past four away games when considered favourites. Since August, Manly have given up 16-0 leads to Wests Tigers and Newcastle away from home, to go with losses to the Warriors and Parramatta. As if to underline their Jekyll-and-Hyde status, Manly have also beaten Canterbury twice away from home and Penrith once in that time after entering as outsiders. Speaking generally after being asked about the Sea Eagles' inconsistencies, Seibold was adamant his ninth-placed team was not alone in a salary cap-based competition. "They (the NRL) want an even competition, so that means there's going to be wins and losses along the way," he said. "I've never seen a competition where the top four or five sides all had losses by 40 points, and that's what we've got this year. "Everyone talks about inconsistency, but the NRL is designed to have an even competition, which means that if you win more than 50 per cent of your games you're going all right. "And if you're losing more than 50 per cent of your games there's always going to be a challenge for you. "I think we're right in that sweet spot. We've got a great opportunity with somewhere near our best squad this week."
7NEWS
an hour ago
- 7NEWS
Collingwood vice-captain Brayden Maynard rejects North Melbourne to sign new deal
Collingwood premiership defender Brayden Maynard has resisted the lure of free agency to re-sign with the Magpies for another four years. North Melbourne had come hard for Magpies vice-captain Maynard, 28, but he has instead signed with Collingwood until the end of 2029. Maynard had long appeared likely to remain at the club where he has played 218 games since he was drafted at pick No.30 in 2014 and won a premiership in 2023. 'I'm incredibly proud and excited to be wearing the black and white for another four years,' Maynard said. 'I love this club. From the players and staff to our incredible fans, everyone contributes to making Collingwood the club it is. 'To the Magpie Army - it's a privilege to represent you each week. 'No matter where we play, you show up in force with passion and loyalty, and I can't wait to keep running out in front of you for years to come. Up the Maggies!' Collingwood had always been keen to retain the heart-and-soul defender, one of their most important players and an All-Australian in 2022. 'Everyone at our club universally loves Brayden, but especially his teammates. He is a heart and soul player who leads from the front in every aspect,' list boss Justin Leppitsch said. 'It's great to have 'Bruz' recommit. He is the ultimate club-person, epitomising a team-first mentality on and off the field. 'We are excited to see Brayden in the black and white for the next four years and beyond.' Maynard has been sidelined with a rupture plantar fascia but is expected to be available after Collingwood's bye this week.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Jarome Luai will partner Nathan Cleary in the halves for NSW after injury to playmaker Mitch Moses
NSW coach Laurie Daley is backing Jarome Luai's combination with Nathan Cleary to get the job done next week after the Blues were dealt a massive blow with five-eighth Mitch Moses ruled out with a calf injury six days out from the second State of Origin match. Moses went down at training in the Blue Mountains during an attacking drill down the short side, with the Eels star sent for scans and immediately ruled out after an encouraging performance alongside Cleary in the series-opening win. The Blues could have picked Matt Burton, but the Bulldogs five-eighth will remain 18th man with Daley turning to Luai who got the call after Wests Tigers training and is expected to join his teammates in Leura on Thursday night. 'It's terrible, isn't it,' Daley said of the injury to Moses. 'Mitch played really well in game one and started off looking really good this week, but he injured his calf today. 'We're unsure of how bad it is, but he won't be any good for Wednesday with the short turnaround so we've had to rule him out.' Losing a key member of the spine just days out from a big clash is generally catastrophic for representative teams, but that's not the case when the guy coming in was part of last year's winning squad and has played with Cleary for the past decade. The pair were enemies just last week for the first time at NRL level, but Penrith's premiership duo will reunite and look to deliver like they've done in so many big games before. 'He's won four grand finals and he won the Origin series last year so I think that everyone will have a lot of confidence and faith in him,' Daley said, with Cleary and Luai to start in the halves for NSW for the first time since game one of 2023. 'I don't know Jarome that well, but I think he'd believe in himself as well that he could come in on short notice and do the job. 'There'll only be a couple of training sessions, but the fact that he's played with that left edge last year is an advantage for us. It's not like you're bringing in someone who hasn't played with those players. 'I'm disappointed for Mitch, but I'm excited for Jarome.' Winger Brian To'o is on track to play next Wednesday but will need to get through Saturday's main session in Sydney unscathed before the team flies out to Perth. Injury setbacks can rattle coaches, but Daley looked calm on the outside as he backed his side to move on from the drama. 'It's a funny game, rugby league. With the group of guys that you've got, you've got to make sure that they're prepared really well,' he said. 'We've had setbacks and challenges all the way through the campaign so far, but I'd be disappointed if the fact that we lost a guy six days out and we couldn't cope with that. 'I think the guys are very professional. It's not like we're bringing in a rookie; we're bringing in a guy who has won Origin series before and won four grand finals so he knows what he's doing.'
