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Live sport on SN this weekendPoppa Bear on hand to watch Perth's future NRL star
Justin Chadwick, AAP •  August 9th, 2026 8:00 am
Mal Meninga has enjoyed watching Melbourne beat Manly as the Bears' countdown to inclusion nears | Photo: James Worsfold/AAP
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy reckons Perth are onto a winner after incoming utility back Nick Meaney put on a star display in front of his future fans.
The Bears' inaugural roster has copped plenty of criticism due to their lack of marquee players, with the NRL stepping in this week to grant the expansion franchise some help in their bid to land some big fish.
Under the new concessions, a club sponsor will be able to top up one player's salary by 20 per cent without the additional funds featuring in the salary cap.
Perth will also be afforded first choice of any player wanting to break their contract to leave their current club.
Bears coach Mal Meninga is happy with the squad he has already assembled, and he would have been thrilled with the way Meaney played in the Storm's 42-20 win over Manly at Perth's HBF Park on Saturday.
Nick Meaney has given Perth fans a taste of what's to come next year when wearing red and black | Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP
The 28-year-old was a perfect nine-of-nine with the boot as Melbourne piled on 42 consecutive points after finding themselves 14-0 down early in the match.
"They're getting a real good player. They're getting a real good bloke," Bellamy said of Meaney, who has signed a three-year deal with the Bears.
"He's a great great guy, a real family guy ... but he's not coming over for a holiday.
"You've got one hell of a talented player there. He's a smart footy player, and the other thing that I think is really valuable is his versatility.
"He can play fullback, play on the wing. He can play centre. He can play five-eighth. You could probably put him in halfback too. So he can play anywhere in the backs. It's a real good buy for Mal and his club."
Perth have also snared Meaney's Storm teammate Tyran Wishart on a five-year deal.
"We're really sorry to see them go. Those guys will build an atmosphere in the club," Bellamy said.
The WA capital is now officially Bears territory, with the Storm and Sea Eagles clash marking the last NRL fixture in the west before the Bears enter the competition.
To mark the handover, Meninga led a 'Bear Walk' to the ground before kick-off, with more than a thousand fans clad in the club's new jersey joining him despite the rain.
Mal Meninga leads Bears fans on a historic march to the ground they'll call home from next season | Photo: James Worsfold/AAP
Meninga fondly referred to himself as "Poppa Bear" and he's loving the support the club are garnering.
"It was pouring down with rain, but it didn't deter us," Meninga said of the 'Bear Walk'.
"The thing I sense over here, it's the west versus the east. It is a rivalry.
"We're putting national into the national rugby league."
