Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys has labelled Western Australia a “gold mind” for the NRL after an overwhelmingly positive response to the news that top-flight rugby league was returning to Perth.
Speaking to The Courier-Mail, V’landys says the decision to bring back the bears for relocation was the right call.
“The euphoria I have seen has been extraordinary,” he said.
“That’s one of the reasons why we wanted to bring the Bears back.
“There’s a lot of people who support the Bears and they have a readymade supporter base.
“They have the pathways with their juniors and it’s a perfect marriage if it happens with Perth.
“It could be one of the real success stories of the future. Perth is a goldmine for the NRL. It has enormous potential. It gives us a national footprint to a degree and the time zone works really well with our global and expansion strategies.”
Former Parramatta Eels boss Brad Arthur is the early frontrunner to be named as the team’s first head coach.
