Meninga’s football boss quits Perth Bears in major blow

The Perth Bears have been hit with a major setback ahead of their inaugural season, with General Manager of Football David Sharpe APM OAM resigning from the NRL’s newest expansion franchise before the squad has even been fully assembled.

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Sharpe confirmed his departure via LinkedIn, revealing he had “chosen to leave the Perth Bears for a new opportunity” and has since taken up a principal role with his own consultancy, Sharpe Focus Consultancy.

In a club statement, Sharpe said it had been a difficult decision to step away but believed the football department was now in a strong position after his early involvement in building the organisation.

He said it had been a privilege to help establish the club and its football operations, including the Bears Tracks academy, and added that Western Australia represented a significant opportunity for rugby league’s growth as a national game, saying he would be supporting the team when they take the field in their inaugural season.

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Sharpe’s departure follows a period of reported internal tension within the organisation earlier this year, with concerns raised around alignment, communication and the overall direction of the club between key figures involved in the franchise’s Sydney and Perth operations.

Namely, it had been reported that friction had begun to emerge between Sharpe and Perth CEO Anthony De Ceglie, marking the first real signs of a roadblock for the expansion franchise.

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It has also raised fresh questions around coach Mal Meninga, with some now asking whether his long-term future in Perth could also be in doubt.

Despite the speculation, Meninga was a strong supporter of Sharpe’s appointment, with the pair having worked together during their time at Canberra, and the Bears coach was instrumental in bringing him back into rugby league after a lengthy spell away from the sport.

Meninga had previously moved to shut down any talk of instability around his own position, but that commitment will now inevitably come under greater scrutiny following Sharpe’s exit.

In what has largely been a strong lead-in to the Bears’ first season, including a number of highly rated signings, the latest development comes as a surprise and raises questions around the club’s immediate direction as they continue finalising both their roster and internal structure.

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