Newtown Jets pull out of Perth NRL race leaving North Sydney Bears in box seat for merger

Sydney club Newtown Jets are out of the race to join Perth as the NRL’s 18th team.

Jets backer, Sydney marketing guru John Singleton, confirmed their withdrawal in a bizarre text to Sydney media from his holiday in the US overnight on Monday: “Newtown out of Perth bid. Too many games being played by Norths and WA government.”

Octogenarian Singleton had been in discussions with a WA bid consortium, led by Cash Converters owner Peter Cumins, a WA Government working party and business figures to help raise the $30 million required to get the team to the start-up line, but said in the text “Better spending time in the sun at Henson” – in reference to the Jets’ home ground Henson Park. “We must avoid our Biden time.”

North Sydney Bears is now in the box seat to partner Perth if it decides to merge with an existing club and not go it alone.

The WA Consortium running the bid is still committed to fielding a stand-alone team and has the financial backing to do so but is in talks with the Bears over a possible partnership.

Both Newtown and North Sydney were foundation clubs in the NSW Rugby League’s first season in 1908.

Discussions have taken place between the WA bid consortium and North Sydney over seats on the board and whether one or two home games at North Sydney Oval, with the remainder to be played at HBF Park in Perth.

The Bears have also offered a capital injection.

The Bears bid is reported to have the backing of powerful ARLC chair Peter V’landys due to their strong supporter base and established junior and senior structures.

NRL icon Phil Gould, who has been an adviser to the bid consortium and a WA Government working party led by MP Peter Tinley, has backed a stand-alone team.

“I still think it needs to be standalone, I still think it needs to be the Western Reds and I think that’s where it’s best placed,” he said.

Perth fielded a team in the NSW RL, the Western Reds, from 1995 to 1997 before it joined Super League as the Perth Reds and was wound up after one season.

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo is leading the bid review.

Perth, PNG, Fiji, five New Zealand consortiums, and a number from South East Queensland are also understood to be vying for three licences which will expand the competition from 17 to 20 between 2027 and 2030.

Perth is expected to join the NRL in 2027.