'Lightning in a bottle': Bears unveil lofty goal as NRL descends on Perth

De Ceglie has worked closely with Bears coach Mal Meninga to assemble the inaugural squad and the roster is slowly starting to take shape. 

Former Bulldogs halfback Toby Sexton was the first signing, while Storm playmaker Tyran Wishart has also joined the club.

Premiership-winning Penrith duo Scott Sorensen and Liam Henry will bring punch up front, with Emarly Bitungane and Nick Meaney to provide strike out wide.

Meninga is searching far and wide to build his team and has signed multiple players from the UK Super League. The coach is also exploring players from South Africa and the Pacific as he looks to silence the doubters in 2027. 

"We're always looking to play finals," Meninga said. "We don't set out to fail. Finals is always the goal and we want to achieve something. With the competitive nature of our game, you've always got to have high expectations and high goals of what you want to achieve. 

"We're currently building out our elite pathways and development programs. Not only in WA, but also with our affiliates the North Sydney Bears and Brisbane Tigers. 

"We've also taken a global approach to it all. We're closer to the UK and we've already got players out of there, South Africa is a target for us and we're looking to make inroads around the Pacific as well. 

"As a football department we're focused on building our top squad but also on building a strong pathways program that gives us long-term sustainability."

Excitement is building in Perth with the Bears first official game now less than a year away.

The club's arrival has already had a positive effect on community participation rates, while officials are planning to use a number of showpiece events to generate further momentum. 

Fans who attend Saturday's double-header will have the first chance to get their hands on new merchandise. The inaugural jersey will be unveiled when Melbourne take on Manly at HBF Park on August 8, before memberships are launched later this year. 

Perth will also host two World Cup matches in October, with the Bears to have a presence at the games.

De Ceglie doesn't shy away from the volume of work still to be completed but is taking confidence from the early signs on the ground. 

"This is a blank sheet of paper and it's a national sporting franchise but it's also a startup," De Ceglie said. "The football department is finishing off our recruitment and putting coaching plans in place. 

"We're working with our affiliate clubs in North Sydney and the Brisbane Tigers, we're working with the local NRLWA and we also have a major infrastructure project. 

"We're looking forward to moving into the WACA in a brand new training facility at the Waterbank in Perth. It's an iconic location which has become a big symbol for the NRL in this state because for the first time in the heart of the city in a prominent location you can see NRL goalposts and not AFL goalposts. 

"We've got lots going on but we've got a brilliant team and everyone's working day and night to bring this to fruition."