‘The NRL only appears to see WA as a cash cow’: Premier hits back after talks break down

April 5, 2025 journo

Western Australia Premier Roger Cook has accused the NRL of treating the state as “cash cow” after negotiations for a Perth-based team spectacularly unravelled.

The NRL is on the brink of walking away from talks to install a North Sydney Bears-affiliated team in 2027 after an offer from the WA government fell well short of expectations. The development is poised to leave the Bears in limbo and result in the NRL going into negotiations for the next broadcast deal with a pitch for 18 teams rather than 19.

Unless the WA government returns to the table with an increased offer, the NRL is likely to abandon – or at least postpone – plans for the inclusion of a Perth team.

Cook has long stated his belief that rugby league needs Perth more than Perth needs rugby league. Responding to the news that the NRL was poised to pull the plug on the project, Cook said he needed to protect the interests of his constituents.

“This week, we made an offer to support a potential NRL licence in WA,” Cook said in a statement provided to this masthead.

“It was based upon support for grassroots development of the game, while protecting the interests of WA taxpayers.

North Sydney’s latest bid for the return to the big time has hit another snag.Credit: Stephen Lunam

“Given our location on the Indian Ocean rim and in the same time zone as 60 per cent of the world’s population, the strategic value of a Western Australian side should be self-evident to the NRL.

“Unfortunately, like some people from the east, the NRL only appears to see WA as a potential cash cow.

“I love rugby league, but as I said during the election, I will always do what’s right for WA.”

Earlier this week, Cook intimated that he wanted the Albanese government to chip in for a stadium in its bid to establish an NRL team. The federal government has already committed $600 million over a decade to fund a PNG team in the NRL from 2028, as part of soft diplomacy in the Pacific to combat the rise of China in the region.

However, further federal funding appears to be a moot point after the offer the state put to the NRL fell short of the mark.

WA Premier Roger Cook has fired a shot at the NRL.Credit: Trevor Collens

It is the latest setback in head office’s bid to give Perth its own team since the Western Reds became a casualty of the Super League war almost three decades ago. The NRL rejected a private consortium headed up by Cash Converters boss Peter Cummins after it opted not to offer a licence fee. Rugby League Central had been seeking a figure of about $20 million at the time.

That led to the NRL negotiating directly with the WA government, which was recently re-elected. League officials were seeking an investment of about $120 million over the course of a decade for Perth to join the competition.

Should the price tag have been met, the plan was for the NRL to run the team in its foundation years before handing control to the club’s members and elected directors.

The WA government was to assist with pathways and infrastructure projects, including an upgrade of Perth’s HBF Stadium from a 22,500-seat venue to 27,000 seats.

However, the breakdown in talks comes just as the NRL hosts a double-header at Perth’s Optus Stadium, where Cronulla will take on Manly and the Rabbitohs clash with the Cowboys.

The decision to go into the next broadcast cycle, which begins in 2028, with just 18 teams would have huge implications for the game. Had Perth joined PNG, there would have been a mad scramble for playing talent, while existing clubs would have sought compensation in the expectation that the game would have generated more money.

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