As the months tick by before their entry in the competition, Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga has chipped away at some quality signings for their maiden season.

Tyran Wishart, Nick Meaney, Toby Sexton, Scott Sorensen and Siosifa Talakai all headline the list of seasoned NRL stars who will offer valuable experience in the early years at the club.

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Throw in exciting young talent, including the Laulilii brothers, Apa Twidle and Emarly Bitungane. There is a strong nucleus of talent that will push teams in the NRL despite outside noise suggesting they have work to do.

When speaking exclusively to Zero Tackle in a one-on-one interview this week, Meninga revealed the attentive process that goes into recruiting talent for a switch to the west.

The 13th Immortal emphasised that the focus isn't purely on the talent showcased on the field, more so the quality of the individual off the paddock.

"We've just come out of a recruitment meeting, actually," Meninga said with a smile when asked what signings are left to be filled in his inaugural roster," Meninga told us.

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

"We're going really well. We've obviously copped a bit of flack externally, but internally, we're really happy where we are with our recruitment and our recruitment strategy. Very happy with the quality of the person and the (players) coming to us as well.

"So we're around that 21 (players) mark, so to be honest with you, we've got to be a bit more patient with the way we do things. We've gone out and we've done really well initially."

Meninga believes that prioritising individual development is crucial for the Bears to achieve powerhouse status and cultivate a strong culture in the early stages of the franchise.

"They're all key positions. So I think it's around the quality of the individual. I think that's really important, and then if they're going to bring that quality and make a difference to the footy team, I think that's really important."

"I don't have to sell the Perth livability. It's a wonderful place to live, great resources over there and plenty of opportunity, even after footy life, so all those sort of things are really important.

"I don't really talk about their footy, their skill. It's more to do with being courageous and bold enough to be a trailblazer in WA. So part of who we are is that we're over there representing our great game of rugby league, and that's really important, and we've got to be conduits for that."

There is also a major focus on representing the Western Australia fans, and building a legacy in foreign areas where rival codes dominate the landscape.

"So we've got to make sure that we're promoting the game, so you need that type of person," he added.

"We want to promote the game in its greatest light, build respect over there in the sporting landscape against all the other codes who have been highly successful over there.

"They're a pretty successful state when it comes to interstate rivalry. So we want to be part of that. We want to be representing WA and being competitive every week. So we gain that respect."

The Bears officially kick-off their premiership assault in November this year when the squad commences pre-season training ahead of their inaugural season in 2027.

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