The timing could not have been more serendipitous for aspiring NRL franchise, the Western Bears. A grand final clash of two AFL heritage brands from non-heartland cities – one relocated (Swans), one merged in a new city (Lions).
It smashed TV ratings for Channel Seven and was the highest streaming game ever of AFL. The equivalent ratings bonanza for the NRL would be Storm versus the Bears and it is a near certainty according to media signalling that sometime late next week, the Western Bears, designed by Peter V’landys as a streaming revenue bonanza, will be admitted to the competition in 2027.
The new franchise simply must follow the pathway forged by the Swans and Lions. It has to – the coveted timeslot allows a variety of games to be broadcast live to eastern states and New Zealand on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
The country will be saturated with live Western Bears games in prime time, so there is a necessity for them to be competitive and liked ASAP. This critical element was a major driver for the ARLC’s ‘encouragement’ of the partnership between the Bears and WA bid consortium.
It will take a decade at least before an academy program replicating east coast AFL models produce local talent in numbers through the pipeline. Unlike AFL, the team can’t be gifted additional first-round draft picks in the early years. There will be a heavy lean on North Sydney pathway programs, including their strong NSW Cup team, through the early years.
WA ownership, and the hosting of all but one home game, were two critical components in securing bid support and acceptance of a non-WA origin brand. A splash of state yellow will be added to the traditional Bears red, black and white jersey colours for home games, to recognise the WA Government’s involvement, while providing a familiar echo to WA teams of the past.
