Latest news with #PerthBears
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Local media snubbed it. But Origin just out-rated AFL in Perth
Perth has embraced State of Origin, with more television viewers tuning in to game II than both AFL matches played at the same venue over the weekend combined. Queensland's thrilling 26-24 win at Optus Stadium was the highest-rating game II since 2015, pulling a total audience of 3.751 million – a 17.5 per cent increase year-on-year. That figure was a smidgen lower than the 3.755 million that tuned in for the opening game, which remains the highest-rating program of the year. However, the most encouraging result for league bosses was the response in the west. Despite being almost totally snubbed by the AFL-aligned West Australian newspaper – owned by Kerry Stokes' Seven West Media, which broadcasts AFL – the match recorded the highest-ever TV total audience for an Origin match in Perth. The locals voted with their TV remotes, with 190,000 tuning in across Perth to watch the Maroons send the series to a decider. That was on top of the 57,023 fans that packed into Optus Stadium, just shy of the venue's 61,266 capacity. To put those viewing figures into context, 82,000 viewers tuned into the North Melbourne-Fremantle clash at Optus on Saturday night via free-to-air on the Seven Network. On Sunday, 90,000 watched West Coast Eagles-Carlton on Seven (those figures don't include Kayo/Fox viewership). 'The incredible match was the perfect showcase for rugby league in the state and the excitement we want to bring sporting fans with the Perth Bears,' said Perth Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie. 'I was fortunate to spend a lot of time among the fans with [Bears coach] Mal Meninga and the buzz about the Bears was simply electric. Sports fans can't wait.' Origin II also recorded a streaming audience of 957,000 on 9Now, up 29.5 per cent year-on-year. The total reach for the match was 5.467 million.
The Age
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Age
Local media snubbed it. But Origin just out-rated AFL in Perth
Perth has embraced State of Origin, with more television viewers tuning in to game II than both AFL matches played at the same venue over the weekend combined. Queensland's thrilling 26-24 win at Optus Stadium was the highest-rating game II since 2015, pulling a total audience of 3.751 million – a 17.5 per cent increase year-on-year. That figure was a smidgen lower than the 3.755 million that tuned in for the opening game, which remains the highest-rating program of the year. However, the most encouraging result for league bosses was the response in the west. Despite being almost totally snubbed by the AFL-aligned West Australian newspaper – owned by Kerry Stokes' Seven West Media, which broadcasts AFL – the match recorded the highest-ever TV total audience for an Origin match in Perth. The locals voted with their TV remotes, with 190,000 tuning in across Perth to watch the Maroons send the series to a decider. That was on top of the 57,023 fans that packed into Optus Stadium, just shy of the venue's 61,266 capacity. To put those viewing figures into context, 82,000 viewers tuned into the North Melbourne-Fremantle clash at Optus on Saturday night via free-to-air on the Seven Network. On Sunday, 90,000 watched West Coast Eagles-Carlton on Seven (those figures don't include Kayo/Fox viewership). 'The incredible match was the perfect showcase for rugby league in the state and the excitement we want to bring sporting fans with the Perth Bears,' said Perth Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie. 'I was fortunate to spend a lot of time among the fans with [Bears coach] Mal Meninga and the buzz about the Bears was simply electric. Sports fans can't wait.' Origin II also recorded a streaming audience of 957,000 on 9Now, up 29.5 per cent year-on-year. The total reach for the match was 5.467 million.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Panthers premiership winner joins Bears as assistant
The Perth Bears have announced the first member of Mal Meninga's coaching staff, luring premiership-winning assistant Ben Gardiner from Penrith. Samoa's head coach Gardiner has signed a five-year deal to join the expansion club that enters the NRL from 2027, positioning him to possibly succeed Meninga in the top job. Gardiner won the 2023 and 2024 premierships as an assistant to Panthers boss Ivan Cleary and was also on staff at South Sydney for their drought-breaking 2014 grand final victory. He began his career as a strength and conditioning coach at the Sydney Roosters and has also held posts with Cronulla, Wests Tigers, the City Origin team and New Zealand's international side. Gardiner coached the Tigers for one game in 2022 as regular mentor Tim Sheens was unwell and led the North Sydney Bears between 2015 and 2017 when the club was Souths' NSW Cup affiliate. "I can't wait to work closely with new people in Western Australia and build a hugely successful team over the next five years as we promote rugby league and grow the game," he said. Gardiner's contract begins next year, allowing him to help Meninga with recruitment, and will not preclude him from coaching Samoa. "I look forward to Ben helping us to build a club and culture which will set the Bears' future on the right path," Meninga said. "He has worked with some great clubs and teams, at premiership and representative level, and he also has Bears DNA to add to his prolific experience," he said. The announcement comes only one day after the second State of Origin match in Perth, where a crowd of 57,023 reiterated the sport's potential in the west. The Perth Bears have announced the first member of Mal Meninga's coaching staff, luring premiership-winning assistant Ben Gardiner from Penrith. Samoa's head coach Gardiner has signed a five-year deal to join the expansion club that enters the NRL from 2027, positioning him to possibly succeed Meninga in the top job. Gardiner won the 2023 and 2024 premierships as an assistant to Panthers boss Ivan Cleary and was also on staff at South Sydney for their drought-breaking 2014 grand final victory. He began his career as a strength and conditioning coach at the Sydney Roosters and has also held posts with Cronulla, Wests Tigers, the City Origin team and New Zealand's international side. Gardiner coached the Tigers for one game in 2022 as regular mentor Tim Sheens was unwell and led the North Sydney Bears between 2015 and 2017 when the club was Souths' NSW Cup affiliate. "I can't wait to work closely with new people in Western Australia and build a hugely successful team over the next five years as we promote rugby league and grow the game," he said. Gardiner's contract begins next year, allowing him to help Meninga with recruitment, and will not preclude him from coaching Samoa. "I look forward to Ben helping us to build a club and culture which will set the Bears' future on the right path," Meninga said. "He has worked with some great clubs and teams, at premiership and representative level, and he also has Bears DNA to add to his prolific experience," he said. The announcement comes only one day after the second State of Origin match in Perth, where a crowd of 57,023 reiterated the sport's potential in the west. The Perth Bears have announced the first member of Mal Meninga's coaching staff, luring premiership-winning assistant Ben Gardiner from Penrith. Samoa's head coach Gardiner has signed a five-year deal to join the expansion club that enters the NRL from 2027, positioning him to possibly succeed Meninga in the top job. Gardiner won the 2023 and 2024 premierships as an assistant to Panthers boss Ivan Cleary and was also on staff at South Sydney for their drought-breaking 2014 grand final victory. He began his career as a strength and conditioning coach at the Sydney Roosters and has also held posts with Cronulla, Wests Tigers, the City Origin team and New Zealand's international side. Gardiner coached the Tigers for one game in 2022 as regular mentor Tim Sheens was unwell and led the North Sydney Bears between 2015 and 2017 when the club was Souths' NSW Cup affiliate. "I can't wait to work closely with new people in Western Australia and build a hugely successful team over the next five years as we promote rugby league and grow the game," he said. Gardiner's contract begins next year, allowing him to help Meninga with recruitment, and will not preclude him from coaching Samoa. "I look forward to Ben helping us to build a club and culture which will set the Bears' future on the right path," Meninga said. "He has worked with some great clubs and teams, at premiership and representative level, and he also has Bears DNA to add to his prolific experience," he said. The announcement comes only one day after the second State of Origin match in Perth, where a crowd of 57,023 reiterated the sport's potential in the west.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Important milestone': Panthers assistant Ben Gardiner signs long-term deal to join Mal Meninga's coaching staff at Bears
Inaugural Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga has locked in a key piece of his staff with Panthers assistant Ben Gardiner set to join the expansion side on a five-year deal that could mean he eventually takes over the team. Gardiner is regarded as one of the best coaches in the game having played an important role as an assistant at the Panthers for their 2023 and 2024 premierships, while he's also in charge of the Samoan side. He will be a huge asset for Meninga in the club's formative years, with Gardiner holding a special connection with the Bears having coached North Sydney for three seasons in the NSW Cup. 'I can't wait to work closely with new people in Western Australia and build a hugely successful team over the next five years as we promote rugby league and grow the game,' he said. 'I have had a close relationship with the North Sydney Bears for a number of years where I was able to coach the NSW Cup team and work in coaching and recruitment as well as with the women's team. 'These experiences allowed me to understand what makes that great club tick. 'These foundations need to be synergised into the Perth Bears to grow a collaboration of new and old. 'I have been able to experience success in winning systems across a number of elite clubs in the NRL and look forward to sharing that knowledge.' While nothing has been suggested as of yet, the Bears could follow the Dolphins who had Wayne Bennett in charge for the first couple of years before Kristian Woolf took over. It's something Perth could look to do with Gardiner, who can learn off Meninga before eventually replacing him when the Immortal's contract expires in 2028. 'He has worked with some great clubs and teams, at premiership and representative level, and he also has Bears DNA to add to his prolific experience,' Meninga said. 'I look forward to Ben helping us to build a club and culture which will set the Bears' future on the right path.' Gardiner will join the Bears at the end of the 2025 season and will remain Samoa coach as they prepare for next year's World Cup. 'We're extremely excited to have Ben join the team,' Perth Bears chief executive Anthony De Ceglie said. 'He's a winner who's renowned for his football knowledge and hard work ethic. 'This is another important milestone as we ensure the Perth Bears lay the right foundations for future success.'
Herald Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- Herald Sun
Kerry Stokes must hand back South Sydney membership over Perth Bears blackout
Billionaire media giant Kerry Stokes should immediately hand back his prestigious South Sydney Rabbitohs life membership if he continues to sabotage rugby league's foray into Perth. Stokes and his media cohorts in Australia's west are behaving like petulant children. The chairman of the Seven West Media empire, Stokes has essentially blackballed Perth Bears coverage on his Seven television network and only aims to condemn rugby league through his print arm, The West Australian newspaper. Perth wants to be careful about being seen as a small-minded country town, who cannot accept change, by eastern state sports supporters. AFL gets a pretty good run in the Sydney media. It's called being grown up. Banning coverage of rugby league because your station is the rights holder to AFL – a rival winter sport – is petty and juvenile. It's also a clear sign how uneasy Stokes must be about the NRL's incursion into WA. And this from a man who was awarded life membership at Souths in 2004 for his significant financial contribution during a challenging era for the club. Stokes was happy to accept the gong from rugby league back then but now wants to inflict damage on the game. Clearly the honour meant little to Stokes. If Stokes is seeking to obstruct and vandalise rugby league then he should return his life membership. Perth's media resistance shows how paranoid and protective they are over their beloved AFL. Can't have anyone upsetting the precious AFL now can we? Stokes cannot seem to accept that WA's Government gave the NRL a whopping $65m in funding for the Bears to relocate and now the Perth media have taken their bat and ball and gone home. Said to be worth $12.6 billion, Stokes is among the top ten richest Australians with his Seven network being number one in Perth. He owns the AFL broadcast rights and The West Australian, a newspaper which has been hugely critical of the Bears' shift into Perth. This was the same paper which, when Perth Bears were announced as the NRL's 18th franchise to excited fans, ran a massive front page headline which screamed 'Bad News Bears', describing the club as a dud second division team. How bloody rude, arrogant and disrespectful to a foundation rugby league club. Yes, Stokes wants to protect his biggest asset, AFL, but they can't spare rugby league some air and print space? The NRL doesn't want to storm Perth in a bloody takeover. We just want a fair and equitable portion of the WA media pie. Maybe State of Origin in Perth on Wednesday night can mend a few misconceptions about rugby league and show WA punters what a wonderfully exhilarating sport it can be. Stokes has decided to brush attending Origin II, claiming to be in Sydney on business. The Perth Bears will need Stokes, no doubt, but rugby league has survived and flourished for 117-years without him. Stokes' preferred sport is AFL but he also has a long history with rugby league. His greatest gesture was a $3m sponsorship over three years with Souths around the start of the century, money which helped the club navigate financial difficulties. Stokes' high-profile support also played a pivotal role in Souths' reinstatement into the NRL, thus his deserved life membership at the time. 'Kerry made a tremendous contribution to the club in its darkest hours, and was a fully deserved recipient of life membership,' said Souths CEO, Blake Solly. 'Without Kerry it's doubtful whether the Rabbitohs would be in existence today.' Now Stokes appears to have abandoned rugby league. Rather than excluding Bears' coverage, maybe Stokes should tell his two AFL teams to lift their performances. The once mighty West Coast Eagles, who were laughably compared to Manchester United during the 1990s, are running dead last on the AFL ladder, having won one from 14 games this season while Fremantle are faring better with eight victories from 13 matches. The NRL has attempted to win over the hearts and minds of WA sports fans by appointing the one-and-only Mal Meninga as the franchise's inaugural coach. But Meninga and new Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie, a former Seven West Media director of news and current affairs and editor-in-chief of West Australian newspapers, are fully aware of the looming push-back from AFL-loving local media. 'We can't just go over there and beat our chest and say 'we're here',' Meninga said. 'It's more around building respect.' I just hope Mal and his team are given the same respect by Seven West Media in return, otherwise rugby league must rid itself of Kerry Stokes. DOG TREATS Champion Sydney-based horse trainer Chris Waller has claimed rugby league's push into New Zealand's rugby union heartland was 'scary.' Kiwi-born Waller said: 'When I was growing up, there was no rugby league at our school and rugby union held centre court. It was pretty strict. If you played rugby league, you couldn't go back to rugby union. '(So) it will change, for sure, especially if you've got administrators like Peter V'landys involved. It's a bit scary and the All Blacks had a bit of a loss in terms of their business this year. They will have to change a few things to make sure it's not losing its dominance. 'Rugby league is portrayed in such a great way. The Kiwis love Australia, they are in awe of Australia – the population, wealth and opportunities. The All Blacks are probably more seasoned – they don't play as many games so they don't get the same exposure.' MERRITT ON THE TOOLS Former Souths winger Nathan Merritt has started working as a scaffolder. Merritt, who has recovered from a 2023 serious health scare where he was placed on life support, was spotted on a building site at Concord last week. One co-worker said: 'I couldn't believe it was him.' Merritt, 42, scored 154 tries during a 13-year, 237-game career at Souths and Cronulla. TIGERS DREAM In a unique situation, Wests Tigers debutant Charlie Murray is managed by a company called Enriched, where Tigers CEO Shane Richardson is a shareholder. Richardson's son, Brent, Enriched CEO, said: 'I'm Charlie's agent, not Shane. If you speak to Paul Massey (operations manager for NRL's Accredited Player Agency Scheme), it will have my name under Charlie's on the registry. 'He came to Wests Tigers with no guarantees and no real contract. Charlie's dream was to play NRL. He's a great kid, a hard trainer who puts the club first. 'Shane doesn't manage anyone in the business.' Brent admitted the player-son-CEO relationship was 'quirky'. MID-SEASON MADNESS Which two well-known players from a Sydney club are tipped to be moved on before June 30. One isn't a shock, the other will be contentious. RAIDERS MENTORS Is there a better club when it comes to developing and educating coaches than Canberra? Check out this list of current coaches who have, at some point, shifted through the Raiders system. Mal Meninga (Perth), Laurie Daley (NSW), Michael Maguire (Broncos), Craig Bellamy (Storm), Anthony Seibold (Manly), Todd Payten (Cowboys), Wayne Bennett (Souths) and, of course, the one-and-only Ricky Stuart. Originally published as Media mogul Kerry Stokes and the Western Australian media are being childish over the Perth Bears
