Board member of the Perth Bears and former Australian ambassador to the USA, Joe Hockey, has revealed there's an outside chance of Donald Trump tuning in for the NRL season opener while it's being played in USA prime time.

Hockey has strong ties with the US President, with whom he formally dealt with him during his first presidential campaign run from 2016 to 2020.

The former Australian politician also visited Trump to play golf with him in 2018, strengthening the relationship between the two countries.

Hockey was appointed to the Perth Bears board in June 2025 and played a substantial role in bringing the North Sydney team back to life in a re-imagining of the side based in Western Australia. 

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Hockey revealed that with Trump's busy schedule, he wasn't out to issue a formal invite; however, he wouldn't put it past him to tune in after a day's work.

“If we thought there was a reasonable chance [he would come] we would have formally invited him,” he told SMH.
 
However, with the NRL kicking off the St George Illawarra Dragons vs Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs fixture broadcast on USA's Fox Sports at 8 pm local time, there's a great chance Trump and many other influential Americans will be exposed to the code.
 
“I wouldn't put it past him to watch it on TV,” Hockey added.
 

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