Perth Bears are courting an innovative affiliation with Super League club Catalans as they prepare to take the NRL to new frontiers around the globe.
Fresh from inking a giant $1.2 million annual sleeve sponsorship deal with Budget Direct, Perth are also keen to field their own team in a proposed expanded Under-21 competition based out of Queensland next year.
How that format will work is yet to be finalised, but on top of the four NRL clubs based in Queensland who played in the NRLQ Under-20 development series this year, it could also include Perth, PNG and Fiji.
AAP has been told a Perth affiliation with powerhouse outfit Brisbane Tigers is "almost a done deal" and will complement their link with North Sydney Bears on the eastern seaboard.
The Tigers have a rich history, superb training facilities at Langlands Park and are also unaligned after their long-term relationship with Melbourne recently ended.
The best aspect from Perth's point of view about Catalans is their synergy. The club has a positive relationship with Australian players who have enjoyed the Perpignan-based outfit's professionalism and embrace, but also their location as a place players with young families can feel at home.
Perth are now allowed to talk to off-contract NRL players for the 2026 season and can sign any of their targets immediately for their 2027 entry.
Catalans, and AAP understands potentially other Super League clubs, could benefit from players having a stint with them before potentially joining the Bears in 2027 and beyond.
The respective clubs would need to make that relationship work for both parties of course, but there is a mood in the international game to think outside the box.
The Bears are prepared to do exactly that and hold the view expansion also equals innovation and a frontier mentality.
Coach Mal Meninga has 13 months to assemble a squad to start training in November, 2026.
He has the gravitas and the pulling power with players to get the job done.
In the meantime, the Bears are making inroads in the commercial space.
CEO Anthony De Ceglie hailed the recent commercial deal with their new sleeve sponsor as a sign of what's to come.
"We can't wait to work together to make the Perth Bears a giant on-and-off the field," he said in a statement.
"The Perth Bears are a rare and special club, unlike anything else in the country, that allows brands the chance to have a monopoly on the NRL in Western Australia while also having a second home and supporter base in the bustling north shore of Sydney.
"We believe it the most exciting opportunity in the Australian sporting landscape right now and this record deal is proof of that."
