NRL reportedly exploring expansion talks with 'Western Bears'

The North Sydney Bears and a consortium from Western Australian are reportedly exploring the idea of joining forces to launch a fresh bid to be included in an expanded NRL competition.

A day after new ARLC chairman Peter Beattie declared rugby league must "expand or die", Fairfax Media says former Western Reds chairman Laurie Puddy and North Sydney Bears chairman Perry Lopez have held a series of secret talks about forming a "Western Bears" franchise.

While the negotiations are preliminary, both parties are said to be open to the prospect of working together to provide a compelling case for an NRL license.

The Bears recently tried to muscle in on the Gold Coast by offering the Titans $7 million for the team’s licence but the Gold Coast decided to stay put and adopt a multi-million dollar plan by businessman Darren Kelly.

It’s been almost 20 years since the Western Reds were part of the NRL.

The WA based side fell victim to massive debt as a result of the Super League war.