Western Australian Premier Roger Cook wants the Commonwealth to chip in for a stadium in its bid to establish an NRL team in the state.
Cook said he hadn’t had a “direct conversation” with the Albanese government about that, but pointed out the hundreds of millions in funding the federal government had injected into other sporting projects around the country.
Roger Cook addresses the media on March 31, 2025. Credit: Hamish Hastie
“I do note the sizable contribution towards the new stadium in Hobart, and I think just over the weekend, they made an announcement with regards to a contribution to the [Melbourne] Storm in Victoria,” he said.
“So if we were in a position to be able to negotiate an NRL franchise in WA, we welcome any Commonwealth contribution to that infrastructure.
“We very much look forward to continuing those conversations with the NRL and if the Commonwealth Government want to drop a lazy $430 million on a new stadium in Perth, they’ll be very welcome to do so, but I’m not sure they necessarily would.
“We just need to first of all have the conversation to see what the opportunity for an NRL franchise in WA is.”
Cook supports the NRL’s push to move the Western Bears from Sydney to WA, but negotiations paused over the caretaker period before the March 8 state election.
Those talks have now resumed, but Cook refuses to reveal what cost he is willing to pay to help establish the team here through associated infrastructure.
He has continually said his government would not agree to any deal unless it had value for taxpayers.
