Bears to chase opening game against Sydney club

The Perth Bears are understood to have requested their opening NRL game to be against the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

The Bears, who will become the NRL's 18th team in 2027, are in the process of building their inaugural 30-man NRL roster, but attention will quickly turn to their first game.

News Corp is now reporting the South Sydney Rabbitohs are the desired target, with the club having a long affiliation with Perth.

The Maroubra-based outfit have played a home game in Perth each year since 2009, and have the NRL's biggest fan base in Perth.

They also have prime minister's Anthony Albanese's support, and it's understood part of the proposal is that he would travel west for the game.

The Bears, who were also fierce rivals with the South Sydney Rabbitohs during their North Sydney existence, will be able to draw on a number of rivalries against Sydney clubs when they enter the competition.

It's likely the Bears first game - which is to be played at home against whichever club it ultimately ends up being - will be on a Sunday afternoon in the prime-time slot on the east coast but played as an afternoon game locally.

The last team to join the competition, the Dolphins, played the Sydney Roosters in their first game of the 2023 season on a Sunday afternoon, while the Gold Coast Titans opened their existence back in 2007, also on a Sunday afternoon in Brisbane against the St George Illawarra Dragons.

The Dolphins managed success in their first game, upsetting the tri-colours, while the Titans came up short by two points.