'This is a great legacy piece for me': Rugby league icon Mal Meninga unveiled as inaugural Perth Bears coach

Australian rugby league icon Mal Meninga has been confirmed as the inaugural coach of the Perth Bears.

The legendary Raiders, Maroons and Kangaroos centre will lead the NRL's 18th team as it prepares to enter the league in 2027.

Meninga was unveiled as the coach at a press conference at NRL headquarters on Friday morning. He confirmed he's signed a three-year contract, although the NRL only committed to him coaching the team for the 2027 season.

READ MORE: Socceroos 'fairytale' all but secured after dramatic late winner

READ MORE: Controversial Roosters star 'hasn't lived up to the hype'

READ MORE: Hollywood A-listers buy Australia's SailGP team

He beat the likes of Brad Arthur and Sam Burgess to the gig.

Meninga will surrender his Kangaroos duties, with a new Australian men's coach to be named ahead of the Ashes series in October.

"Very humbled to be given this opportunity," Meninga told media on Friday.

"This is bigger than me. It's about the game, the growth of the game in WA, and I want to leave it in a good place.

"The foundations are going to be set in stone, and when I move on the great club called the Perth Bears will hopefully be a success and move into the future.

"I feel that where I sit in my career at the moment, this is a really important gig, this is a treasured moment in my footy career.

Watch the 2025 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and 9Now.

"I think this is a great legacy piece for me to move away from the game eventually. I've got some great enjoyment out of the game, great success, and the game has been great for me.

"I feel this is something I can help the game with and then move on."

The Bears will be the first rugby league team from Western Australia to join Australia's leading competition since 1997, when the Perth Reds folded.

The NRL will be hoping Meninga can act as a drawcard to lure quality players across the country to make the Bears competitive from the get-go.

Meninga admits there are tough tasks ahead.

"Huge challenges, but I love challenges," he said.

"It is all small steps. We will make sure we build the foundation - it's all around the people, engaging the community.

"I'm very confident we can do it."

The Meninga appointment drew praise from Bears legend Billy Moore when he spoke to Wide World of Sports earlier this week.

"We are taking a team into what you would call a frontier state. But Mal's profile is so great that people just on the edge of rugby league would have heard of him. Even AFL people would know who Mal Meninga is," Moore said.

"That little bit of profile I think is good for opening doors."

Meninga is just the second appointment for the Bears, after media executive Anthony De Ceglie was named the inaugural CEO.