Paul Gallen and Channel 9 host James Bracey have got into a heated exchange about the relative lack of excitement about the Perth Bears’ signings.
The Perth Bears will enter the NRL next season and while the PNG Chiefs have landed Jarome Luai for 2028, there is minimal excitement and low expectations about what the Bears can achieve on the field next year.
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The Bears have a recognisable coach in Mal Meninga, but they have not landed a marquee signing, with the lack of salary cap concessions labelled a disadvantage given the Chiefs can offer tax-free money to recruits.
Gallen and Bracey, who is a member of the Bears board, debated whether the Bears had done enough to promote their signings as well as Perth itself as a city to attract players.
“My question is which one of those blokes have you had on the TV? Jarome Luai was all over (the media),” Gallen said on Nine’s 100% Footy on Monday.
Watch the heated exchange in the video above
Bracey said players signed with other clubs can’t promote the Bears, but Gallen wasn’t satisfied.
“The Bears need to do something. Go and take them out on a beach over there, show them how good Perth is,” Gallen responded.
“Show something good about Perth, you’ve done nothing!”
Bracey replied: “Perth’s not in another country, we all know WA is amazing.”
“At the moment, when you’re a new club starting and you can’t play yet, the coach — and Mal Meninga is an icon of our game — is your only selling point unless you’ve got a player that isn’t contracted to another club,” Bracey said.
“So you’ve got no way of marketing yourself, we’re just going off history at the moment.”
As the exchange got increasingly heated, Bracey said: “What do you want us to do?
“Do you want me to put a Perth Bears polo on Scott Sorensen and go, ‘Come on mate, talk it up?’” Bracey said.
A clearly frustrated Bracey concluded: “Turn it up, turn it up.”
The PNG Chiefs are expected to field a competitive roster in 2028 with Luai’s signing getting the ball rolling and reinforcing the lure of tax free earnings.
Bracey said he feared there would be a signings “freeze” for off contract players as they decide whether or not to join the Chiefs.
Several star players from several clubs including the Panthers
“I loved hearing from Trent Robinson and Ivan Cleary, authoritative figures in our game with so much experience … saying they believe Perth need some sort of help,” he said.
Phil Gould, sitting on the panel, told Bracey: “You’ve just got your first lesson in club management. Don’t argue with the media. Just let it go, let it go.”
The Bears have 17 players signed including former Bulldogs halfback Toby Sexton, four-time premiership player Scott Sorensen, Storm duo Nick Meaney and Tyran Wishart and Bulldogs forward Josh Curran.
Perth Bears current squad
1. Nick Meaney (Melbourne Storm)
2. Apa Twidle (Parramatta Eels)
3. Harry Newman (Leeds Rhinos)
4. Sean Russell (Parramatta Eels)
5. Luke Laulilii (Wests Tigers)
6. Tyran Wishart (Melbourne Storm)
7. Toby Sexton (Catalans Dragons)
8. Liam Henry (Penrith Panthers)
9. No player signed
10. Mikolaj Oledzki (Leeds Rhinos)
11. Scott Sorensen (Penrith Panthers)
12. Siosifa Talakai (Cronulla Sharks)
13. Josh Curran (Canterbury Bulldogs)
14. Emarly Bitungane (London Broncos)
15. Luke Smith (London Broncos)
16. James McDonnell (Leeds Rhinos)
17. Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui (Catalans Dragons)
18. Chris Vea’ila (Cronulla Sharks)
19. Kit Laulilii (Wests Tigers)
