It has been more than three weeks since the Perth Bears have been able to sign players for the inaugural 2027 season – but so far, it's not painting a pretty picture.
The latest NRL expansion franchise has been linked with a number of high-profile stars over the past few months since announcing Mal Meninga as head coach.
Cameron Munster was the first big-name player in Perth's sights, but the champion five-eighth has expressed his desire to remain at the Melbourne Storm.
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One of his teammates, Harry Grant, was also on the hit list.
It's believed that the Bears tabled a $1.5 million deal to the Maroons and Kangaroos hooker to become their marquee man and the highest-paid player in the game.
Instead, the superstar No.9 opted to re-sign with the Storm for another two seasons.
The latest blow – and perhaps the most telling sign of where things stand for the Bears – came over the weekend when Jayden Campbell knocked them back.
Campbell was offered $6 million over five years to move to Perth and follow in his father Preston's footsteps as a marquee man for a new club in the competition.
But in a surprising move, the halfback decided to re-sign with the Titans for another five seasons, keeping him on the Gold Coast until the end of 2031.
Munster and Grant knocking back huge money to stay at a powerhouse club like the Storm for less is one thing and almost expected – but Campbell's decision should be sounding alarm bells given the Titans have been a basket case for many years and are starting yet another rebuild under new coach Josh Hannay.
Tino Fa'asuamaleaui is another Titans player who could be available to sign with the Bears, but those rumours have gone quiet in recent weeks.
At the same time as Campbell knocked back the historic contract, reports began to surface that Harry Newman would be the expansion team's first major signing.
The former England international is a fine player and has 129 Super League appearances to his name with the Leeds Rhinos, but is hardly going to move the needle or inspire confidence for the Bears from a marquee talent perspective.
Newman couldn't even make the England team for the first two games of the Ashes series and was only brought in for a dead-rubber against the Kangaroos.
Perth's early struggles can only be compared to what the Dolphins had to contend with before their introduction to the NRL, but even the Redcliffe-based outfit were able to land some big fish – even if they too missed out on Munster and others.
Felise Kaufusi and the Bromwich brothers all signed on early for the Dolphins, giving the club experienced leaders from the get-go before also landing Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
Since his move from the Cowboys, the speedster has established himself as one of the game's elite fullbacks and a genuine superstar of the sport.
They also managed to sign perhaps the best teenage prospect in the country at the time in the form of Isaiya Katoa, who is now a household name among league fans.
And while it's still early doors for the Bears, reports from The Sydney Morning Herald indicate that some officials at NRL headquarters are starting to get a little concerned and Meninga will be desperate to make some waves before the end of this year.
Looking at the player market, there are still plenty of great players who could be in the sights of the Bears and following the Dolphins' mould of attracting experienced figures in the forward pack and building from there could be a smart idea.
Outside of the aforementioned Fa'asuamaleaui, who would be one of the best possible players the Bears could sign, players such as Viliame Kikau, Francis Molo, Tyson Frizell, Jaydn Su'A, Junior Paulo and Scott Sorensen jump off the page as possible targets.
Angus Crichton would be another bigger-name forward who the Bears could enquire about, but it's highly unlikely he would play for a club other than the Roosters and if he was to leave Bondi, the 15-man code would be calling his name.
If we're to believe the rumour mill, Panthers prop Liam Henry has agreed to join the Bears and he will bring a no-nonsense approach as well as premiership experience.
While the potential to bolster their forward pack could be on the easier side – at least on paper – finding and bringing in quality spine members could prove a little trickier.
Cowboys youngster Jaxon Purdue or Storm utility Tyran Wishart are both still on the market and could test their worth as key playmakers with a start-up organisation, while more experienced players such as Te Maire Martin and Kodi Nikorima are solid options.
Connor Tracey and Will Kennedy are two solid fullbacks without a deal beyond 2026 and would be the type of players who wouldn't break the bank but give their all each week.
Even a player like Tyrell Sloan, who has unlimited potential but has struggled to find consistency at the Dragons, could be Perth's answer to Tabuai-Fidow at the Dolphins and would likely relish wearing the No.1 jumper outside of his current home.
Ultimately while it's easy to look at all of these names on paper, the majority of them have their lives entrenched in NSW or Queensland and it would take plenty to persuade them to uproot and move across to Perth to continue their careers.
In the case of Campbell, a monster offer wasn't even enough to pry him away from the hapless Titans – so can the overarching figure of Meninga convince anyone?
Time will tell, but time is one thing the Bears are already running out of.
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