Perth sport stars say there’s room in city for Bears
Scott Bailey |
Perth has rolled out the royal welcome for State of Origin with the godfather of West Australian sport declaring there is enough room for the Bears in the state.
NSW took to the field at the future home of the NRL club on Monday for an opposed session, facing a composite side drawn from local league players and Super Rugby side the Western Force.
Also in attendance at HBF Park were UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena, former Perth Glory goalkeeper Liam Reddy and cricket legends Mike Hussey and Justin Langer.
No voice carries more weight in West Australian sport than that of Langer, who was revered in the state during his international cricket playing and coaching careers, and sits on the West Coast Eagles’ board.
And while the Bears will run through the same winter season as the Eagles once they enter the NRL in 2027, Langer said there was no doubt the city had room for both major football codes.
“There’s enough people and enough people to support their different codes,” Langer said.
“The West love their sport. We see it in the summer with the Glory (soccer) as well. The Wildcats (basketball), of course. There is a good following for the Force in rugby union.
“A lot of eastern staters come over and work over here. So I get where that passion and energy is coming from.”
Langer will be at State of Origin II at Optus on Wednesday night, and said he had long been a league fan after being caught in the middle of passionate Queenslanders and NSW players in the Australian cricket squad.
“When I was 18, I went to the cricket academy. I didn’t really know about rugby league,” Langer said.
“But then they told me this thing about the State of Origin. I was like, ‘Righto’.
“But I watched my first State of Origin game. You talk about sport and passion. And the passion, right? And I love that.”
Langer referenced the intense following for West Coast and Fremantle among West Australians.
“There’s passion for the game,” he said, “but New South Wales and Queensland, man. That’s gold.”
Della Maddalena said he had been won over by the history of Origin fights, with Justin Hodges and Eric Grothe’s an early memory.
The WA local posed for photos with Blues stars Payne Haas and Stefano Utoikamanu with the UFC welterweight belt he won from Belal Muhammad last month.
“There are some big boys, I reckon they would flatten me,” Della Maddalena quipped.
“I was a rugby union man growing up, but I’ve always loved State of Origin. I got into it because of the biffs, but they’ve slowed down a bit now.
“I think there is a big following here for rugby league, so to have our own team is exciting stuff.”
AAP
