“Look I love it”: North Sydney Bears boss open to New Zealand partnership

With the recent discussion about a potential 18th NRL team to expand the competition, former Warriors coach Tony Kemp this week proposed a seemingly radical idea to grow the game.

Former first-grade club the North Sydney Bears have made it clear they are looking for someone to partner with to put them back into the NRL, with Perth looming as a potential destination for the famous franchise.

While West Australia is an option, the NRL has also made it clear that they’re looking for a second club across the ditch, and this gave Kemp an inspired idea.

Kemp believes the Bears could partner with the pre-existing rugby pathways down in Canterbury in New Zealand's South Island and North Sydney Chairman Daniel Dickson was open to the idea.

"Look I love it ... the Bears are not in agreement with anyone," Dickson said on SENZ Breakfast.

"To me, it's all about the grassroots participation which has the engaged community to make a successful 18th franchise.”

Former All Black Israel Dagg and Kemp believe Super Rugby champions the Crusaders could provide that solid foundation a club with NRL aspirations requires.

Despite the obvious query, geographical distance is not a barrier the North Sydney Bears boss fears would stop making this a reality

"We just want to make sure that geographically we feel we are the team of the people, and we can take that to the people where the game needs to go," he said.

Whether the 'Southern Bears' concept can become a living beast remains to be seen but it's clear from one famed rugby league club anything is on the table to expand the greatest game of all.