The Bears take a big step towards a successful return to the Major League

Western Bears bosses insist they will incorporate the 116-year history of the North Sydney Bears into the merger that will create the NRL’s 18th team from 2027.

On Wednesday, Bears members received the most important update on the merger yet, a week after the joint venture between the Bears and a WA consortium officially submitted its application to join the NRL.

The Western Bears are now closer than ever to becoming Perth’s first top-tier rugby league team since the demise of the Western Reds following the 1997 Super League War.

WA has long been seen as the next frontier for the NRL as neutral games in Perth are typically well attended and grassroots participation rates are higher than in Tasmania, the Northern Territory and South Australia.

In their letter, the Bears confirmed that the majority of home games would be played at the state-owned HBF Park in Perth.

But North Sydney Bears chairman Daniel Dickson and Western Bears chairman Peter Cumins reiterated that the takeover offer had not lost sight of the founding club behind the new merger.

“If our bid is successful, we aim to make the Western Bears a club that the people of Western Australia can be proud to support, bringing Bears fans together from the east coast to the west coast,” said Cumins, a key financial investor in the joint venture.

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The Bears will bring a home game to Sydney in 2027, possibly against arch-rivals Manly, and plan to hold a pre-season friendly there as well.

According to the Bears’ letter, the club also wants to establish running tracks for men and women in both North Sydney and Western Australia.

This includes using the NSW Cup’s North Sydney Bears as the main supplier club and redirecting the team’s talent from current NRL partner club Melbourne.

The Fusion’s new logo will feature the Bears’ original red and black colours, modified to “meet the NRL’s competitive requirements”. The club also plans to offer membership packages that allow Sydney-based members to attend multiple away games.

Greg Florimo and North Sydney Bears fans at North Sydney Oval. (Photo by Getty Images)

“The Western Bears Club will make the NRL a truly national competition by bringing top-tier rugby league back to Perth and building on the legacy of the North Sydney Bears dating back to 1908,” the Bears’ letter said.

The Bears’ return will come 25 years after the Northern Eagles’ ill-fated merger with Manly, which preceded the team’s demise in 2002.

“The Western Bears will reinvigorate our passionate fan base and bring our proud history and heritage to a new market. A club with a national presence is great for the game,” Dickson said.

The likely inclusion of the Bears is part of the NRL’s bold plans to expand to 20 teams over the next decade, with teams from Papua New Guinea and either New Zealand or Queensland likely to follow in the coming years.

© AAP