Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga has lifted the lid on the upcoming travel burden the side will face upon their entry into the NRL in 2027.

The Bears, who are parked on the west coast of Australia, remain isolated from the rest of the NRL world.

During next year's home and away season, the Bears will be expected to travel to the busy east coast at least once a fortnight to compete in the competition.

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Roughly a five-hour flight from Sydney, there are implications that need to be considered from Meninga to ensure the Bears players are at their quintessential best. 

When speaking exclusively to Zero Tackle, Meninga gave an insight into the travel plans heading into the 2027 NRL competition. 

"We've done our sums. It's not double, but it's close to most other clubs in the competition," Meninga said.

"So we've got to address that. We're going across two time zones. So we've got to make sure that when we do play that we're at our best, and the welfare component of that is really important."

Meninga is wary of the threat fatigue has on an NRL playing group, as well as acknowledging the importance of recovery despite the hefty travel schedule.

"When you travel, how you rest after travel is really important to recovery, and then you've obviously got to train, and then you've got to play," he added. 

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW IN THE YOUTUBE PLAYER ABOVE, OR BY CLICKING HERE

"That expectation that you put on yourselves, but obviously your fans as well. So all those things got to come into consideration if you double up, it takes about five hours just to get to Sydney from Perth, as we all know, a little bit longer to Brissy (Brisbane) and quite a long way to, if we have to go to the Warriors and North Queensland.

"So the way you put all those parameters together and package it up somehow, we want to obviously, you know, do it in the best fashion so that when we do play on the East Coast, all our North Sydney fans and Perth Bears fans will see a competitive side."

The threat of being separated from the major cluster of NRL clubs on the east coast has issued concerns for recruitment and player retention amid speculation in the NRL community.

It won't be the first time travel becomes a major consideration in Australian sport. The AFL has two Western-Australian teams, and measures have been placed to ensure comfortability and recovery are at their peak.

Some of the key measures taken from the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers include:

  • Business class upgrades when flying.
  • Upgrades in accommodation to ensure adequate rest for the players.
  • Smart draw fixtures from the AFL to ensure optimal travel efficiency is being taken place.
  • Chartered flights when necessary. 

These are all answers to mitigate the burden that Meninga and the Bears will no-doubt lean into when focusing on their 2027 campaign.

Despite some outside noise, Meninga is loving life returning to the head-coaching role, a change of pace he hasn't experienced since 2001 when he departed the Canberra Raiders after five years at the helm in the nation's capital.

When asked whether it will be a challenge adjusting to the longer 27-week schedule, Meninga backs his illustrious experience in representative roles during the 2010s and 2020s. 

The decorated coaching resume speaks well and truly for itself, with 30 QLD Maroons matches coached in State of Origin, winning 20 of those contests.

Most notably, Meninga has won nine series during his tenure as Maroons coach, and famously won eight straight series in a row.

"Yeah, I think a lot of the skills I've developed over the years transfers quite comfortably into clubland," Meninga added, who boasts a 66.7% win percentage in the Origin arena.

"Putting teams together in that situation, I understand that better than most. So I think putting that into this exercise has been very, very helpful."

Despite not coaching at the top position, Meninga has been involved in the NRL landscape since the stint at the Raiders over the turn of the century, and joined the Gold Coast Titans as Head of Performance and Culture in 2018.

The 13th Rugby League Immortal also returned to the Raiders in 2024, where he helped with recruitment and retention, mentoring pathways, engagement with key stakeholders, and promotion as a club ambassador.

"It's not as if I've been lost to the game. I've worked within a few clubs over the years, even if I wasn't the head coach. So I actually understand all the nuances, obviously there's a lot more staff on board and I'm very cognizant of the fact that I know my strengths and I know my weaknesses."

"So I can play to that and when we recruit staff and staff in particular, my ego is not big enough to actually ask for help.

"So it's what I do and how I lead and how I present myself on a daily basis. I think we'll make the difference, but I think my experience is going to help the team meld and be comfortable within its own four walls and be very competitive."

The Bears will officially kick-off their premiership fight in November this year, where the squad will commence preseason training ahead of their maiden expedition.

Watch the full interview with Mal Meninga here and become a foundation member of the Perth Bears here.