‘Refreshed’ Sexton back to prove a point after brutal NRL exit
Mal Meninga is out to prove people wrong at the Perth Bears. Toby Sexton is, too.
Sexton is eager to get back to Australia and join the NRL’s newest expansion team, having spent the past year in the English Super League with the Catalan Dragons.
Toby Sexton had high praise for his elite new coach. NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Bears have been met by a number of doubters ahead of their inaugural season largely due to the few show-stopping signings in the squad.
Phil Gould has frequently reminded the masses to recognise recruitment is a “long race” as well as informing Bears officials not to panic about the external noise.
One conversation with Meninga was all Sexton needed to be confident that noise was not a major issue, nor are his credentials to be a starting halfback invalid.
“He said something to me (when we first spoke about the deal) about proving people wrong that stuck with me,” Sexton told the Big Bears podcast.
“I feel like I am in a similar position where I have a lot to show and prove to people why I should be an NRL halfback.
“The conversation (with Meninga) wasn’t that long, but I knew once it was done that it was where I wanted to be. He is also an Immortal of the game, so what you’ll learn off him is pretty cool.”
Sexton’s rugby league career has been far from linear, but he is grateful for the lessons he has been able to learn from the various clubs he has represented.
He had a stop-start career at Gold coast before heading to Canterbury in 2023.
Sexton had the Bulldogs flying last year, before their season was derailed when young playmaker Lachlan Galvin was brought in mid-campaign.
Sexton and hooker Reed Mahoney were controversially told to look elsewhere, and landed in France and North Queensland respectively. Mahoney played NRL finals with the Cowboys this year while the Dogs fell short.
Sexton admits he returns to Australia with a point to prove.
Toby Sexton was overlooked in the halves for Lachlan Galvin at the Bulldogs. Getty
“To be back in the NRL and be a good NRL halfback (is the goal),” he said.
“It has been a great 12 months living over here... It has been a nice refresh given everything that has happened over the last couple of years ... to be given an opportunity to get away from lots of things and just be a normal person.
“It was definitely what I needed before coming over to Perth.”
Sexton has not arrived in Perth yet, and admits he has never been to the WA city, but is champing at the bit to get his feet on the ground for pre-season.
“The support the Perth Bears have received already has blown my mind,” he said.
“We are building it from scratch ... we will get to write our own history which is cool. It is pretty exciting, it is a cool thing. The opportunity to play for a new club doesn’t come around often. It is a once in a career opportunity, which excited me.”
Sexton will be joined by his former Bulldogs teammate Josh Curran, who also inked a three-year deal to join Meninga’s inaugural squad.
