Peter V'landys takes dig at AFL as Perth Bears confirmed to enter the NRL in 2027, adding competition to Western Australia's sport sector

Sky News AU

08-05-2025

Fans of the fallen NRL side the Bears have rejoiced with Perth confirmed to be the new home of the beloved club as it will return to the competition in 2027.
The announcement the Perth Bears would be joining the NRL in under two years' time marks the first time a Western Australia-based rugby league club will be playing in the top grade in 30 years after the Western Reds who competed from 1995 to 1997.
It will also mark the return of the Bears after a two-and-a-half decades long exodus since they were booted from the competition at the end of the 1999 season.
The confirmation of the NRL's expansion has not made everyone happy though, as it appears to have reignited the code war with the AFL in turn.
Seven West Media's paper The West Australian published the headline on the front page "THE BAD NEWS BEARS", adding: "Rugby-mad Roger Cook forces WA taxpayers to pay Sydney's NRL rejects $65m to play in Perth".
The media conglomerate has an allegiance to the AFL, especially after Seven signed a broadcast rights deal with the AFL and Foxtel for $4.5 billion from 2025 to 2031.
Channel 9 will be broadcasting some NRL games when they are played in Perth, adding some competition for viewership with the AFL.
The AFL currently has two Western Australia-based teams - the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers - which both play at the 61,000 Optus Stadium.
When asked about the local media coverage of the Bears announcement, Australian Rugby League Commission chair Peter V'landys said he felt it had been biased against the NRL, and warned the AFL should be worried about the competition the code is set to bring to the state.
"I think the media coverage has been a bit biased, in the sense that the main newspaper here is owned by Seven West Media, that has the AFL rights, let's be quite frank," he told reporters on Thursday at Perth's HBF Park, set to be the home ground of the Bears.
"They don't want us to be here, because they realise we're going to be competitive and we're going to take some of the lunch, and we eat a lot so we'll be taking a fair bit of their lunch."
At the press conference on Thursday, Mr V'landys said there would be a $50 million return on investment to the WA government.
'It's a gold mine,' Mr V'landys said.
'It's going to have a massive return to the government here... our figure was a $50 million (annual) return.
'The beauty of this team is you're going to have 200,000 members coming from NSW for the Bears. And the Bears are a very tribal club and (the fans) will travel.'
WA Premier Roger Cook said "every dollar of WA government support" will be spent in WA to "develop the game".
The agreement with the NRL includes $65.6 million in financial support from the government over seven years, with the Premier predicting WA taxpayers to benefit from the return on investment.