Western Bears’ NRL expansion bid is REJECTED by ARLC boss Peter V’landys as bid from Perth and North Sydney consortium falls ‘short’

The Western Bears’ bids to become the 18th NRL franchise suffered a huge blow on Tuesday.

Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) boss Peter V’landys has informed the Western Australian government that bids from a consortium made up of backers from Perth and North Sydney had been rejected, according to reports from The Daily Telegraph.

V’landys confirmed on Tuesday that a bid from the consortium of investors did not meet the financial requirements to successfully establish the team, with V’landys stating that their bid had fallen ‘short’.

The private consortium, led by Cash Converters owner Peter Cumins, had applied in August to become the 18th team in the NRL.

Cumins reportedly wrote an open letter to Western Australian league bosses stating they needed to raise around $30 million to operate the franchise.

But messages from the Sydney Morning Herald claim today that NRL bosses were left ‘fuming’ after sources said they had been ‘low-balled’ by the consortium over its plans to fund the Bears.

It now appears the ARLC is keen to work directly with the Western Australian government to establish the 18th franchise, an arrangement that reportedly will not involve the Bears conglomerate.

ARLC boss Peter V’landys has stated that the NRL will reject a consortium’s bids to establish a new NRL side in Western Australia

The consortium, made up of financiers from Perth and North Sydney, had submitted an offer that was too low

“The offer made by the consortium has been rejected,” he said.

“We will continue to negotiate with the Western Australian government to try to revive the bid.

‘The offer they made was significantly short.

“No bid team can take the expansion process for granted.

‘I made that clear from day one.

‘We will only expand if there is a solid business case and at the moment Perth’s business case is not correct.

“If we can’t stack it up, I can’t put it before the members for consideration.

“I can only say that their offer is extremely short. I will have more discussions with the WA Government, but not necessarily with the current consortium. ”The bid submitted by the consortium has been rejected,” he said.

It is expected that if NRL and WA officials can agree a deal to establish the new franchise, the side could be operational from 2027.

Rugby League’s top competition has not had a team in WA since 1997. The Perth Reds had been the first members to play in the Super League, but were not invited to join the NRL, following the end of the Super League war in 1998.

Despite the setback for the Cumins consortium, WA Premier Roger Cook has still insisted it is important for the NRL to have a team in the western state.

The decision will be a difficult one for the North Sydney Bears, who left the NRL in 2002

V’landys stated that the NRL would continue to work with WA to find a new side in Perth

WA Premier Roger Cook said the government had “played a supportive role” in the consortium’s private bid

“Western Australia is the obvious choice for a new team, and the NRL knows WA is a great option for expanding the competition,” Cook said.

“They know WA is a clear market for the NRL, we offer significant broadcast opportunities unmatched by the other bids and a Perth team would be ready for the 2027 season.

“The state government is not involved in the private consortium bid. However, we have a supporting role and have expressed our willingness to work with the NRL on issues such as the delivery of top-quality grounds and high-quality facilities, an expansion of our successful national player development program in schools, and support in the delivery of pre-season matches in regional WA to build a brand and get the community behind the club.”