Perth Bears recruitment manager Dane Campbell wants to sign 10 players by Christmas as he reveals his philosophy for assembling the NRL’s newest team.

Handed a blank cheque, and with a blank canvas, Campbell has been tasked with assembling a roster of 36 players with a budget of $11.95 million. The job will begin in earnest on November 1, when he can begin negotiating with a raft of big-name free agents, headlined by Payne Haas, Viliame Kikau, Luke Metcalf, Jayden Campbell, Josh Addo-Carr, Harry Grant, Jahream Bula and Tyran Wishart.

In a wide-ranging interview, Campbell spoke about what he learnt from the Dolphins’ entry into the NRL, fears about being used as leverage by rival clubs and player managers, the potential of having to pay more than they should to lure players to Western Aus

See Full Page