Bears CEO reveals key lure in securing big name players

Moving to Perth is a key selling point for the Bears, not an obstacle, according to Perth Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie.

From the moment the Perth Bears were announced as the NRL’s 18th team, concerns arose around the team’s ability to recruit star players to the other side of the country.

So far the club have recruited the likes of Tyran Wishart, Josh Curran, Nick Meaney, and Liam Henry, among others, with players choosing to join the Bears from all over Australia and the UK.

Perth is approximately a five-hour flight or 40 hour drive from Sydney, but De Cegile isn’t concerned about the impact this may have on the club’s ability to sign players, with Perth’s many strengths a key recruitment pitch for the club.

“We're proud of what Mal Meninga and… David Sharpe are putting together their team,” De Cegile told SEN 1170 Breakfast.

“Their philosophy from the outset has been that they want to create a team that can be competitive from round one, and they want to recruit the right players for the right reasons.

“That's what we're most excited about.

“They're all fantastic young men who are coming for the right reasons. They're going to move their lives to Perth, but they are going to play for the Perth Bears and give everything they can.

“I don't see obstacles, to be honest.

“I'm pretty parochial about Western Australia. I've lived in Sydney, I've lived in Perth. I grew up in Perth, and I think it's the best city in the world.

“My theory has been (that) if we bring these people to Perth, if we show them the lifestyle, the culture, the weather, the school system, the health system, how they can bring up their families in this state, we feel like it's a pretty strong selling point.

“The people that we've brought over have all seen that for what it is and the other thing we have that nobody houses is the head coach Mal Meninga.”

The Bears will have a unique problem to navigate compared to the rest of the league; the longest commute of any club and a major time difference to overcome.

Previously, the Warriors and Cowboys were the most difficult travel circumstances, coming from New Zealand and Townsville respectively.

In 2025, the Fremantle Dockers and West Coast Eagles, the AFL’s WA-based sides, had approximately 80 hours of flight time across their seasons, roughly 15 hours more than the Gold Coast Suns, who had the third-most travel.

However, despite the travel being a notable issue by his own admission, De Cegile sees the potential benefits of being a far commute away,

“(The travel) is definitely front of mind for us… we're lucky in that the AFL clubs from Perth… have been grappling with this issue for a long time,” De Cegile said.

“There are even lots and lots of university students who've done PhDs and thesis on this issue out of Perth.

“So, it's front of mind for us and it's definitely something we're talking about and something we're keen to have an innovative solution on and get the best result possible.

“I'm a glass half full, silver linings kind of guy, and, on the flip side, you’ve got to remember people have to come our way to play as well.

“It might hurt us going to Sydney, but when we're home, playing home games in front of a very parochial West Australian crowd, it might also be an opportunity for us.”

The Perth Bears will join the NRL in 2027 having today unveiled their official logo.