Mal Meninga aims to establish Perth Bears, using lessons from his Raiders experience for success in 2027.
New Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga will draw on his experience from the early years at the Canberra Raiders as he prepares to bring the NRL's 18th team to life in 2027.
"We need to understand what makes up a Perth Bear. I think that's really important from a startup position and then you build from there," Meninga said.
The Raiders were the first expansion team to join the premiership from outside Sydney, along with Illawarra Steelers, in 1982 and Meninga was among a group of players who helped Canberra develop into a powerhouse.