The nightly news showed footage from deep inside the North Sydney Leagues club, where a group of hardcore fans celebrated the announcement that the Perth Bears would become the NRL's 18th team in 2027. Greg Florimo, club legend and leader of the fight to return the Bears to the top grade was in the thick of things, straining to hear the details over the cheers.
For many the announcement marked the end of 25 years in exile for the foundation club. For others it was seen a cynical ploy to launch an expansion team, while attempting to take advantage of sentiment.
The North Sydney Bears were ingrained in Rohan Hancock's family. His father and uncle both wore the red and black for the club and his fondest childhood memories from the '80s and '90s were centred around North Sydney Oval and the leagues club, cheering on the Bears through their highs and lows.
"My dad and my uncle both played for the Bears years before I was born (in more successful times), and my extended family attended every home match at North Sydney Oval year after year," Hancock told ESPN.
"We would always head back to the Sports Bar at the League's Club to hang out with the players and all of our friends after the game. Incredible times."
The failed merger with Manly following the Super League war and the subsequent reinstatement of the Sea Eagles as a standalone club, cut so deeply that Hancock turned away from rugby league completely. Manly kicked on to win further premierships, while his beloved Bears were left on the scrapheap.
The announcement of the Perth Bears was not met with cheers from Hancock.
"The fact this announcement refers to a 'new' club in the NRL for Perth is the entire problem," Hancock continued.
"These people are desecrating the ashes of a foundational club, and slapping the name and branding on a new venture in the hopes of attracting sentimental Bears fans like me to a 'new' club in W.A., for nothing more than political purposes and to exploit a supposedly baked in supporter base.
"Unless the Bears are playing under the banner of North Sydney and playing their home games at North Sydney Oval, you can firmly count me out."
For some diehard Bears fans, the Perth announcement is just a bit more salt in a reopened old wound. These fans had their family history, their rugby league identity, their fondest football memories fully invested in the North Sydney Bears. They will never forgive the league for putting financial imperatives ahead of their lifelong passion. To them the Bears are far more than a brand to be plastered on an expansion team located five hours' flight away.
The whole venture reeks of being a cobbled together, somewhat confusing, effort to introduce a new team in time to offer broadcast bidders an extra game per week. The involvement of the Bears looks to be a better-than-nothing solution for the proud club, but one completely lacking in authenticity. It remains to be seen just how many genuine Bears fans turn up to games in Sydney, let alone fork out likely more than $1000 to watch a game in Perth.
For Hancock and many who feel the same way, it will be a passing curiosity which bears very little resemblance to the club he invested so much passion into, earlier in his life.
"The logo and the name mean far less than the history involved. The NRL and this W.A. Premier can take the name, take the branding, take the song if they like, but they'll never take the legacy."