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News.com.au
4 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Bigger than me': Mal Meninga at ease with giving up Kangaroos role to coach Perth Bears
The Perth Bears have locked in their most important piece with rugby league Immortal Mal Meninga confirmed as the inaugural coach of the NRL's newest franchise. Meninga has had to vacate his role as Kangaroos coach and will officially start his new job on July 1 as he prepares to build a roster for when the Bears enter the competition in 2027. The Raiders legend oversaw the greatest Maroons side of all time and has enjoyed World Cup success with Australia, but this will be his first time back in club land since he left Canberra in 2001. 'This is bigger than me,' he said. 'It's about the game and the growth of the game in WA. I want to leave it in a good place. The foundations are going to be set in stone, and when I move on, the great club called the Perth Bears will hopefully be a success. 'It's a huge responsibility, but I believe I'm up for it. 'It's a huge challenge, but I love challenges.' With Meninga signed on for the next three years, Perth finally has a big Bear over there, but they'll need a chair as well and hopefully people willing to share the stories that the NRL wants them to tell. It's why Meninga, Bears chief executive Anthony De Ceglie and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo stressed the importance of understanding the rugby league community in Western Australia and ensuring the link to North Sydney isn't lost. De Ciglie is aware of the sporting landscape in Perth where AFL remains king, but rugby league has already ruffled a few feathers and will only get bigger with Meninga at the helm. 'It's obvious that Mal is an Immortal of the NRL, but I think it's important to note that he's an Immortal of the national sporting landscape,' De Ceglie said, with Meninga beating out other candidates like Brad Arthur and Sam Burgess. 'Mal is a part of the Australian identity, so we're incredibly honoured that he's taken up this opportunity. 'It's small steps. We've gone from one Bear in me to two Bears with Mal, so we've doubled our staff overnight. 'I genuinely feel like the first thing we need to do is listen and appreciate and respect the legacy of the North Sydney Bears but also the fans in WA who have a proud tradition as well. 'They've kept the candle burning for decades, and we have to marry those things together to make this thing a huge success.' The NRL will work with the Bears to finalise the board, with attention now turning to who will replace Meninga as Kangaroos coach. Meninga has played a key role in growing the international game but won't be there for the Ashes tour at the end of the year, with former Blues boss Brad Fittler the early favourite to take over. 'The commission has long held the view that the Kangaroos coach can't be involved in coaching clubs as well, and that policy is going to continue,' Abdo said. 'As Mal said, this is a full-time job and it's about building a team from the ground up. It's exciting, but it's going to take a lot of hard work, so the focus on the club is one thing, but the commission also has the existing policy. 'We're all excited for the end-of-season tour, and it's been a long time coming. Today was about announcing Mal as the Bears coach, and with Mal secured and finalised, the commission will turn its attention to the right candidate for the Kangaroos.'
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Why the shocking appointment of a Channel Seven supremo to be footy boss is a MASTER STROKE - as the NRL tries to conquer Perth: PETER VAN ONSELEN
As an adopted West Aussie who loves rugby league, I can't wait for the Perth Bears to enter the comp in 2027. The code's ambitions to become a truly national competition require it, and the revival of the North Sydney Bears as a relocated Perth team is the perfect bridge between the old and the new. It gives the new franchise an immediate supporter base in Sydney when playing on the road, as well as a history and culture from day one to help build its presence in Perth. Inevitably it will be a challenge to take on the AFL in one of its heartland areas, but Perth is also filled with east coast expats. While the term 'expats' is supposed to only apply to people living in a new country, the west is such an isolated community that it can be readily applied to a move to WA, too. Let's not forget, WA voted to secede from the rest of Australia back in 1933, with a 66 per cent vote in favour of doing so. It never happened, of course, but the separatist culture has continued, with popular polls on the issue continuing to reveal a sentiment of 'us verses them'. It's why voting patterns in WA regularly don't follow what's going on elsewhere around the country. The choice of the inaugural CEO of the new franchise is another masterstroke by Australian Rugby League Commission boss Peter V'landys and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo. The Bears played first-grade footy in North Sydney from 1908 to 1999, showcasing legends like Mario Fenech (pictured right with teammate Sean Hoppe) - giving the team a huge head start as they try to make their mark in WA Say what you like about this pair, they aren't afraid to take it up to the AFL in the war of the codes, and in recent years the NRL is outperforming its rivals. Who better to lead the NRL's push into WA than a former boss of West Australian newspapers and the national head of Channel Seven's news and current affairs, Anthony De Ceglie. The West and Channel Seven are the biggest media players in WA and De Ceglie hails from across the Nullarbor, described as a 'genuine Western Australian' by V'landys when announcing his appointment. While I can't claim the same status, having only moved to WA as an adult, the AFL-mad state is desperate for more local sports and the Bears arrival in 2027 is a great opportunity to build the code as a truly national competition. Australians living elsewhere find it hard to fully appreciate just how parochial WA can be. The state Premier is regarded as more of a PM than Premier, with state politics dominating coverage over national politics in the west, not something we see elsewhere. The isolation - Perth is the most isolated major city anywhere in the world - feeds such sentiments. Even those like myself who turned the state into their adopted home join in. While I've seen concerns expressed that rugby league may struggle to find its feet on the other side of the country, crafting a management and pathways program that does more than insert east coast personnel into the west is a prerequisite for success. De Ceglie's appointment sends an important message locally. The recent decision by the local paper to use mock outrage to condemn the state government's decision to invest in the Bears' arrival, splashing with a derogatory front page when the formal announcement was made last week, was more a criticism of the state government spending money in support of the new team than an attack on the code itself. Premier Roger Cook's decision to back the Bears only serves to increase the new franchise's chances of success. It's a net positive to be sure. Much of the money is designed to help build the code from the grassroots up, which will be important to its capacity to compete with Aussie Rules and rugby union. A Perth franchise came and went quickly during the Super League war of the 1990s. The amalgamation of the competition coupled with financial challenges associated with what was a hastily convened team contributed to its downfall. But since that time Perth has grown as a market, as has the game. Those lessons have been important to getting the move right this time. The opportunity to open WA up as a destination for east coast Australians to consider traveling to is another important reason why the state government backed the bid. A four hour flight between Sydney and Perth is seen by some as too far to make the trip, which wouldn't represent a barrier to them if they gave the west a chance, even just once. The city, the Swan River (which feels more like a harbour) and the 'down south' lifestyle make most other parts of the country look positively drab by comparison. Opening WA up to the rugby league community is only going to grow the state more, if current West Aussie can keep an open mind about letting others enjoy what their state has to offer. In politics we often lament our leaders not thinking big, not taking the time to properly consider and craft what they want to do next. It's a problem of short term thinking winning out over long term planning and foresight.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Strong interest elsewhere': Brisbane and Queensland facing $120 million blow
😃 The good: Magic Round on the move despite Brisbane success? 😔 The bad: Gold Coast Titans branded 'embarrassing' for NRL 😡 The ugly: Ezra Mam booed at Suncorp Stadium Another successful Magic Round is behind us and the NRL is justifiably patting itself on the back after pulling off the three-day footy extravaganza without a hitch. And while it's in such a strong position, the NRL is keen to flex it muscle and give the Queensland government a little reminder that there is plenty of competition to host the event. Their current arrangement has two years to run and then Magic Round hosting duties will go out to tender. Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Townsville, Newcastle, Auckland and Christchurch are among the venues being thrown up as possible challengers to Brisbane - who get about $120 million injected into the state economy by the extravaganza. There's even been suggestions Hong Kong and Dubai may throw their hat in the ring. Sounds far-fetched but so did Las Vegas a few years ago. Governments don't mind forking out decent dollars to entice big ticket sporting events like this, especially one with a proven track record of success. "The level of interest, the level of excitement, enjoyment, the level of attendance, the level of viewership, listenership…all of that is the fans telling us if they are happy with the sport on the field, they're happy with the experience off the field," NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said. "This is the rugby league community coming together in a big way and we couldn't be happy with how it's gone (in Brisbane). We will open talks with the Queensland government, who have been wonderful partners, at the right time but there is strong interest from elsewhere. It's a good position to be in." It sure is. Recently I had an NRL-mad relative fly down from the Gold Coast to watch his team - Manly - play Melbourne at 4Pines Park. This 24-year-old was born on the NSW far north coast and has lived his entire life in the Gold Coast catchment area, playing in the local league and working just a few kilometres away from Titans HQ. So, I was intrigued as to why he was following a team so far from home when the Titans were on his backdoor step. He replied: "No one is really interested in them up there. People who go up there from Melbourne already have their AFL team and those from Sydney already have their NRL team. "It's embarrassing going to a Titans home game and seeing more supporters there from the away team. No one really cares." The NRL's infatuation with expansion and the desire for a 20-team competition won't allow for any deep analysis of the situation on the Gold Coast. But with dipping attendances exacerbated by the rise in popularity of the AFL's Suns, it's got to be cause for concern. The Gold Coast club has been known by myriad names since joining the old NSWRL in 1988 but the story remains the same. They rarely make the play-offs, having played finals football just five times in their 30-year existence in the NSWRL, ARL and NRL. They are one of only three clubs in the NRL to never win a premiership - and one of those is the three-year-old Dolphins. Along the way, they have picked up five wooden spoons and risk adding to that collection this year after going on a five-game losing streak – the latest loss a fighting defeat to Canterbury at Magic Round. Coach Des Hasler is a premiership-winning coach but he's been unable to turn them into a consistent threat. It's a worrying state of affairs and one that shows no sign of immediate improvement. There seems little doubt Ezra Mam will be rushed back into the Brisbane line-up after serving his nine-match ban, but it's not going to be an easy road for player or club. Mam's face flashed up on the big screen during Brisbane's Magic Round loss to Penrith and was greeted by a chorus of boos by the capacity crowd. Given there was a wide variety of fans in the house, it was hard to gauge exactly what direction the hostility was coming from. But you'd have to assume some of the anger came from Brisbane supporters, upset their star playmaker has been MIA following the drug-driving drama over the off-season. Either way, it's clear Mam will be a target for supporters as he looks to piece his career back together. That redemption may begin against the injury-hit Rabbitohs on Friday night. WATCH: Ezra Mam copped heavy boos at Suncorp during Magic Round, with his face drawing jeers on the big screen. It's unclear who led the boos, but his reputation has taken a hit after his off-season drug-driving scandal. — NRLCentral (@nrlcentrall) May 4, 2025 After being flogged by the Panthers – their third defeat in four games – to slip outside the top four, you'd think coach Michael Maguire will immediately reinstate the match-winning No.6. "Yeah he'll be ready to play, if he's called upon,' Maguire said on Sunday. "He's worked really hard in the background and I guess until you're actually playing games you can't qualify that, but he's done everything he possibly can to give himself the opportunity to come into selection." Mam may be physically prepared, but it remains to be seen if he's ready to handle the heat coming his way from irate fans.
West Australian
01-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
‘Nobody goes out there to hit anybody high': NRL confident sin bin drama won't overshadow Magic Round
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo isn't worried that last week's high tackle drama will dominate the headlines at Magic Round, with a directive for the bunker to get involved less frequently set to lead to fewer sin bins in Brisbane. There were 18 sin bins in a chaotic round 8, with fans frustrated by bunker intervention for minor offences where the game would be paused and players would be marched for incidents that had occurred a minute earlier. Foul play has been a hot topic this year, with data showing high tackles have been on the rise, leading to a whopping $104,650 in fines being handed out, while players have missed a combined 54 weeks through suspension. Abdo is confident players won't stay down in a bid to get the bunker involved this weekend, with the game's boss backing the on-field action to dominate the headlines after a crackdown overshadowed Magic Round four years ago. 'I'm not worried,' he said. 'The players are professionals and the referees know what they're doing. 'They'll make a call based on the incidents they see in front of them regardless of what happens in and around it, so I'm not concerned about that at all. 'Clearly, we want the focus to be on football.' Bulldogs veteran Kurt Mann said on Wednesday that it was unfair for people to suggest that players should simply lower their target zone when making tackles given things can happen in a split second before contact. Roosters coach Trent Robinson agreed with that sentiment and said teams couldn't train their players differently this week just because the interpretations had slightly changed. 'Nobody goes out there to hit anybody high,' he said ahead of his side's clash with the Dolphins. 'You can't ask someone in the middle of the game not to do it. You have to train it and train it and train it, and that's a process. 'Whether that shifts interpretation in a week or not, we don't want them (high tackles) anyway, so you keep training it and you want that to reduce. 'It doesn't change anything in a week with how you want to approach a game because no one has that as a goal anyway.' While the NRL is adamant that there hasn't been a crackdown on high contact in recent weeks, fans are still frustrated that the game is adjudicated differently from one week to the next. 'It's not a complete shift, but when it's small, subtle changes over the course of a few weeks, you can look back in a month and say 'geez it was different a month ago than what it is today',' Robinson said. 'And that's simply what's happened in a small way. 'Nobody meant to do it, nobody really tried to shift the dial too much, but when you do slightly, it moves the interpretations a bit, so we've got to recalibrate that a little bit. 'We've got a great sport, that's why we're talking about it. It's so fast and intense, and so contact for our sport is more than any other, so we can't look at other sports and say this is how we should do things.'
Perth Now
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Why NRL isn't worried about Magic Round farce
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo isn't worried that last week's high tackle drama will dominate the headlines at Magic Round, with a directive for the bunker to get involved less frequently set to lead to fewer sin bins in Brisbane. There were 18 sin bins in a chaotic round 8, with fans frustrated by bunker intervention for minor offences where the game would be paused and players would be marched for incidents that had occurred a minute earlier. Foul play has been a hot topic this year, with data showing high tackles have been on the rise, leading to a whopping $104,650 in fines being handed out, while players have missed a combined 54 weeks through suspension. Abdo is confident players won't stay down in a bid to get the bunker involved this weekend, with the game's boss backing the on-field action to dominate the headlines after a crackdown overshadowed Magic Round four years ago. 'I'm not worried,' he said. 'The players are professionals and the referees know what they're doing. 'They'll make a call based on the incidents they see in front of them regardless of what happens in and around it, so I'm not concerned about that at all. 'Clearly, we want the focus to be on football.' Bulldogs veteran Kurt Mann said on Wednesday that it was unfair for people to suggest that players should simply lower their target zone when making tackles given things can happen in a split second before contact. Roosters coach Trent Robinson agreed with that sentiment and said teams couldn't train their players differently this week just because the interpretations had slightly changed. 'Nobody goes out there to hit anybody high,' he said ahead of his side's clash with the Dolphins. 'You can't ask someone in the middle of the game not to do it. You have to train it and train it and train it, and that's a process. 'Whether that shifts interpretation in a week or not, we don't want them (high tackles) anyway, so you keep training it and you want that to reduce. 'It doesn't change anything in a week with how you want to approach a game because no one has that as a goal anyway.' While the NRL is adamant that there hasn't been a crackdown on high contact in recent weeks, fans are still frustrated that the game is adjudicated differently from one week to the next. 'It's not a complete shift, but when it's small, subtle changes over the course of a few weeks, you can look back in a month and say 'geez it was different a month ago than what it is today',' Robinson said. 'And that's simply what's happened in a small way. 'Nobody meant to do it, nobody really tried to shift the dial too much, but when you do slightly, it moves the interpretations a bit, so we've got to recalibrate that a little bit. 'We've got a great sport, that's why we're talking about it. It's so fast and intense, and so contact for our sport is more than any other, so we can't look at other sports and say this is how we should do things.'
