Which NRL SUPERSTARS will sign with the Perth Bears?: Sunday Footy Show | NRL on Nine

NRL legends Billy Slater, Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler discuss what free agents the Perth Bears will pursue to sign. Subscribe 👉 https://bit.ly/2lvAJT2 NRL News👉 https://bit.ly/2mPWIV9

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Time now for our Sunday roast and the Bears are back. The Perth Bears coming into the competition in 2027. That’s not the official name, but we do have a Perth franchise officially approved. It was on again, off again a couple of weeks ago. It looked like the NRL were going to pull out, but the government came to the party, so expansion is continuing. Freddy, how excited are you for the game of rugby league? I think it’ll be interesting the name that they run with. Uh there was a big thing about the Dolphins being called, you know, was it Brisbane? Is it a you know how they going to do it? But they thought just having the Dolphins logo. I think that was a a great decision. They got great support base everywhere at the moment. So that’s important. But I love the fact we get to play another day game. It’s a couple hours behind, so we’ll get to see more day games and play in more day uh day games. So I think the players will really appreciate that. The travel is going to be tricky, but I think where it is at the moment, I think the um from a point of view of Perth and Western Australia, how well they’re doing as a state, uh we have great support over there, and I think it’s there’s a great appetite for us. So, congrats to all. We just saw a a picture of Brad Arthur up on the screen there. Do we think that that’s the right coach to to lead this new franchise? I’m not sure. I haven’t really thought about um the coaches as yet. I think the players is obviously very important. Yeah, I think having an experienced coach or someone who’s recognizable is important. Um I’m not sure who who else is out there. Well, Brad Arthur at this stage is the front runner and the NRL do get to appoint the coach. Uh Brad actually has an investment property in Perth because his wife Michelle and her family are from Perth. So they’ve got family over there. So he’s very happy connection to start with. He’s happy to live there and he’s very keen on coming back here and and coaching in the NRL. He’s got the runs on the board. He’s, you know, he’s been quite successful at Paramea in in setting up that club to take them to a grand final. Obviously, they they didn’t get the the Premiership, but it’s the next best thing. And um I think the experience that you spoke about is is certainly something that they want to lean on as well. Um you know, been there, done that, knows what a successful NRL team looks like, and uh starting from scratch, he’s got a blank canvas. What about recruitment? Because we saw with the Dolphins, we had the best coach, if not one of the best in the game in Wayne Bennett. And then Peter Sullivan, one of the best recruitment managers in the game. And even still, they struggled when it came to landing a marquee player. They almost had Cameron Monster. He knocked them back. Almost had Brandon Smith. But how challenging will it be to get players to head across there? I think it’ll be difficult because we got to find another 60 odd players of NRL standard the next couple of years when PNG and also Perth come. So that’ll be a challenge. I think the the model of the Dolphins they went out and bought the best young halfback in the country and Isaiah Cataua and then also they picked a forward pack of hard heads older players experienced players in the forwards. So I think that’s a pretty good model to follow. Yeah. What what the older player and more experienced player does it sets the standard. I think they need to set the standard from day one, but then look to the future. Um, and going off your lines, looking at the Melbourne Storm when they started in 98 and then looking at the Dolphins a few years ago, they got a marquee front rower. You know, Glenn Lazarus was that guy in Melbourne and then Jesse Bromich was that guy to lead the Dolphins to where they are. And you would say the Dolphins have had a successful, you know, first two and a half years in the competition. And then you look to the future by their their star halves coming through. I think the other position that’s very important is fullback. If you look at the fullback of the Dolphins, it’s been the hammer who’s been incredible, not only on the field, but off the field. So, I think chasing uh you know, you can’t just be a good fullback. You got to have something about you. You got to have some sort of X factor where a bit like the Hammer where grab the attention of Yeah, exactly. You got to, you know, you need, you need the fans to get invested in the team and it’s when you got someone like Hammer who’s got speed. Might be something different this time, but you know, that’s something to latch on to and just, you know, hope he scores one of those tries every week. Just awesome. Well, Billy Moore, the Bears director, has come out today with his hit list of who he would like to target, five players. So, uh, Jerome Hughes, no surprise there, the reigning Dian medalist, he is right up there. As you guys mentioned, you need a marquee front rower. Who better than Payne Har to start a brand new franchise? Swan Cobo, he’s also mentioned he’s chasing. Isn’t he having a a great season? Angus Kryton who had a great day on Anzac Day. He’s number four. And last but not least, Gilly Moore says he wants Herby Farnworth over at the new team in Perth. And we have also set you guys some homework to come up with your top, we’ve just said three players. So, Billy, who are your top three that you would be targeting? Yeah. Well, going off my criteria, I think that front rower is really important. So, I’ve gone with Payne Har. I I think, you know, he’s Oh, you have to be the best front rower in the game at the moment. He’s got a big motor. Um, you know, those two guys I spoke about that started the Dolphins and the Melbourne Storm. They’re premiership winning front rowers. You know, Payne’s yet to do that, but he’s done it at representative level. This guy here, uh, he comes off contract at the exact right time, um, after 2026. So, and then this young lad here, Jackson Persu, um I think he’s a star of his future six as a football player. It doesn’t matter where he plays a hybrid. Probably a half probably. Could you imagine Lock Lachlan Galvin and and Persu playing in the halves? Um take nothing away. I don’t want to see him leave North Queensland because he’s a North Queensland boy, but if I was setting up the Bears, I’d be going for those three. Joey, who are you targeting? Uh I’d go Alec McDonald from Melbourne. uh mid20s as tough as they come. He’d set the standards for the young fords and he’s in that sweet spot like a I think the Bulldogs forwards they’ve got all around that 25 26 I think he’d set the standards. uh a young halfback Mitch Woods uh of great promise in his late teens maybe about 20 uh similar to Katawa when the Dolphins got and then the other one’s the fullback Dylan Edwards once again he’d set the culture hardworking tough as they come and I haven’t really met Dylan but by all accounts he’s a cracking young bloke I like that you have a bit of money spare in the spell salary cap too well that’s the thing you’re not you’re not spending millions here you pretty much got everyone on 500 600 maybe Dylan Edwards would be upwards more but yeah you sort of share the load I’m spending a bit more I’ve gone big po I think you know what talk about Glenn Lazarus going down to Melbourne he also went up to Brisbane he was at CRA in 1991 we actually beat him the year but they won the year before the first year was at Brisbane they won competitions and then went down to Melbourne the second year they won a competition uh Katawa he’s just I think the best young halfback in the competition at the moment my other one is Jire Bullah I don’t see many better young fullbacks than him. I just love watching him play. He’s just an excellent player. Always contributing. I remember his early games too. Saved a couple of tries. One against Penri particularly at Ba’athist was a game I’ll never forget. So he’s my man at fullback. He’s got some star power. We’ll see him this afternoon. Actually, not sure how much salary cap I got left, but anyway. Half. Not much. There’s a joke there, but I’ve been told Uncle Nick doesn’t like my jokes, mate. Look at the roosters, mate. They’re all grown within, bro. Very good. grown within. Jeez, haven’t they grown? We’ll talk about that. They’re going good.