Resistance is mounting among NRL clubs over the possibility of the ARL handing the Perth Bears salary cap concessions, with club bosses insisting any change to the expansion club's entry conditions must involve talks with all 17 existing teams.
The new Perth Bears franchise is set to enter the competition in 2027, one year before the PNG Chiefs arrive in 2028, but they are already falling short in attracting marquee talent.
PNG has enjoyed early recruitment success, luring high-profile stars including Jarome Luai and Alex Johnston, with many within the game pointing to the attraction of tax-free salaries being offered as part of the Australian government-backed deal.
The disparity has prompted the Bears to seek support from the ARL, with the Sydney Morning Herald revealing ARL chairman Peter V'landys was open to assisting the club after meeting with Perth Bears board members James Bracey and Daniel Dickson.
Serious discussions have also reportedly taken place regarding potential compensation measures for the WA-based club.
However, not all existing clubs are on board.
The introduction of two new franchises within 12 months has created pressure across the competition, not only for the Bears, who are competing against the financial advantages of PNG, but also for existing clubs attempting to retain their own talent.
It marks a stark contrast to the arrival of the Dolphins in 2023, which was the first expansion club introduced to the NRL in a decade.
NRL clubs previously signed off on the PNG deal after receiving $4 million each in federal taxpayer funding, although similar support for Perth in the form of salary cap concessions is proving far more divisive.
The Bears are reportedly seeking assistance in the form of salary cap concessions to improve recruitment and competitiveness after a sluggish start to attracting players, while their media campaign has also fallen short of PNG's approach.
Canberra Raiders CEO Don Furner said clubs were willing to discuss the possibility, but stopped short of fully endorsing the idea.
“We're not saying a blanket no to something that could be a good thing for the game to expand,” he said to the SMH.
“There is no harm in having the discussion and exploring it.”
Dolphins CEO Terry Reader admitted recruitment was the toughest challenge during the Dolphins' entry into the competition.
“And we had Wayne Bennett [as coach] and were asking players to go to Brisbane”, not the other side of the country, he told SMH.
“We all knew what we signed up for when we came in.
“But it's in the game's best interest for the new teams to be successful, especially Perth, as it offers another time zone for broadcast revenue. It's worth having a conversation amongst the clubs and with the NRL.”
South Sydney Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly was among the most vocal figures regarding club concerns over any potential changes.
“Going back to the initial decision to admit Perth, the clubs raised a number of concerns about the process of getting Perth in and the fact that the NRL would own two clubs in the competition, particularly given we supply them with our most sensitive and commercially confidential information,” Solly told SMH on Sunday.
“We needed to have some comfort that those two clubs would be operated at arm's length. The NRL assured us that both clubs will be salary cap and football department cap compliant.
“That was the basis on which we accepted their entry. If there's an appetite to move away from that, it needs to involve a discussion with the 17 clubs.
“This was a commitment that Peter and [NRL chief] Andrew [Abdo] made.
“I don't think any of the clubs are bloody-minded about this. We all want PNG and Perth to succeed. It's just about recognising the contribution that the 17 existing clubs have made to the growth of the game and our massive investment in pathways and players.”
Parramatta Eels CEO Jim Sarantinos echoed similar concerns.
“I think all clubs have always said we're for the competition being competitive,” Parramatta chief Jim Sarantinos said to SMH.
“But we agreed, and we were informed that these clubs were coming in based on a set of circumstances, and now those circumstances could change.”
One anonymous club CEO was more blunt in their assessment.
“We don't want them to have any kind of relief because that was the deal. But you could sense something was coming.”
The issue is expected to become a major talking point at Friday's NRL CEOs conference in Brisbane ahead of Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium.
Alongside PNG, the NRL will also own the Perth Bears for the first 10 years of their existence under a $600 million Australian government-funded package, adding further scrutiny to how both expansion clubs are managed moving forward.
