North Sydney Bears

History

North Sydney was formed as a foundation club of the newly arrived rugby league game in 1908 and like all north side sports were known as the Shoremen. The club was formed at the North Sydney School of Arts in Mount Street on 7 February 1908.

Like the other Sydney district clubs Norths arose largely from players and officials of the local Rugby Union club, Northern Suburbs Rugby Club. Most rugby league clubs in 1908 copied the local rugby union and cricket clubs' colours, however Norths chose red and black instead of the district's green, cardinal and gold.

The club initially struggled to obtain access to North Sydney Oval, but council obstruction was removed and the Shoremen played their first real home game in 1910. Many good players such as Andy Morton, Jimmy Devereaux and Sid Deane were lost to English clubs in the years after making the semi-finals in the season of 1908.

They were nearly dropped from the competition during World War I due to dwindling spectator numbers. Towards the end of the war Norths' fortunes improved, playing quality and spectators numbers increased, and they won 2 premierships in 1921–22 coached by Chris McKivat. Unfortunately, these would be their last first grade premierships, and their last grand final appearance was in 1943. when an injury riddled North Sydney were beaten by Newtown 34–7. North Sydney's Captain-coach in the Grand Final of 1943 was the future doyen of rugby league broadcasters, Frank Hyde. Hyde, who was living in Lane Cove at the time, had been forced to switch from Balmain to Norths in 1941 due to the league's residency rules which stated that a player was required to live in their club's district. As Lane Cove was in North Sydney's district, the club protested to the NSWRFL and claimed Hyde from Balmain.

The team became known as the North Sydney Bears in 1959 after accepting a sponsorship from the Big Bear supermarket at Neutral Bay, a suburb within the team's catchment area.

The 1952 season saw North Sydney reach the finals for the first time since 1943. Norths went on to make the finals again in 1953 and 1954, losing to Souths and St. George respectively. Norths then had to wait 10 years to make the finals again, this time against Balmain where they lost 11–9. The following year North Sydney came 2nd in the regular season, but were defeated 47–7 by St George, and then lost to South Sydney 14-9 the following week.

Northern Eagles

Due to having a debt of around $4 million largely because the Central Coast Stadium not being constructed in time, the North Sydney club was not considered under the NRL's inclusion criteria.

The joint venture club played out of Brookvale Oval and Central Coast Stadium at Gosford, a ground successfully lobbied and built for the Bears. However, poor on-field performances and factional fighting led to the collapse of the Northern Eagles in 2002, after only three years. After this, the Northern Eagles' licence then reverted to the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, leaving the foundation club out of the top flight of rugby league in Australia after more than 90 years.

New South Wales Cup

North Sydney continue to play in the second-tier NSW Cup competition, initially serving as the reserve side for the Sydney Roosters. They have also been affiliated with the New Zealand Warriors, the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Melbourne Storm in the past, and are once again serving as a feeder club for the Melbourne Storm.

In the 2007 NSWRL Premier League the North Sydney club made the Grand Final facing off against Parramatta. They were beaten 20-15 by Weller Hauraki, scoring a controversial try with just 13 seconds to go, which many believed should not have been allowed due to a forward pass. North Sydney finished the 2008 season as NSW Cup minor premiers and were eliminated in the finals in straight sets.

In 2009, North Sydney lost to Balmain Tigers in extra time to miss out on the Grand Final 19–18. 2010 was a poor season for Norths, who received the wooden spoon. However this was turned around in the 2011 season with the North Sydney side reaching the preliminary final and losing to eventual premiers the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. Deon Apps and Curtis Johnston represented the Bears in the 2011 NSW Residents side with Johnston finishing up leading try scorer for the competition by the end of the regular season with 28 tries, Johnston would play 131 games with the North Sydney NSW Cup scoring 108 tries over 8 seasons before retiring at seasons end of 2019.

2012 saw North Sydney make the semi-finals, missing out on the minor premiership by points differential to Canterbury-Bankstown. They lost their first semi final to Newcastle Knights but had a chance to remain in the running of the competition the week after only to give up a 24–6 lead to the Newtown Jets and lose in extra time 32-30 from a Daniel Mortimer 35-metre penalty goal.

Newtown went on to beat Balmain in the 2012 NSW Cup Grand Final. In 2013, the Bears recorded several large victories in the regular season and finished third. They defeated the Newcastle Knights 32–28 in the first week of the finals, and were then eliminated by minor premiers and eventual NSW Cup premiers the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the preliminary final, who recorded a convincing 38-6 win. This was the third consecutive season that the North Sydney side had been eliminated in the finals by the team which would eventually win the premiership. This was also Matt King's final game of Rugby League.

Central Coast Bears

There was a movement for a return to first-grade Rugby League for the club, with the North Sydney Bears moving to Gosford (on the Central Coast, New South Wales) and becoming the Central Coast Bears. The Bears bid committee lobbied the NRL for inclusion as the next expansion team. They were headed up by Perry Lopez and Greg Florimo and had the corporate backing of a number of local Central Coast and some North Shore businesses. The proposed team would play 11 games in Gosford and one game at North Sydney Oval (Against arch rivals across the Spit and Roseville BridgesManly as part of a heritage or rivalry round). North Sydney legend David Fairleigh was proposed to become the inaugural coach. Prominent rugby league personalities who publicly backed the club include Phil Gould, Andrew Johns and Peter Sterling while support has also come from as high up as Federal Treasurer and North Sydney MP Joe Hockey.

Bears fan Alan McLoughlin, a Central Coast resident, set up a Facebook petition to bring the Bears to Gosford.

The Central Coast Bears had 7,200 financial members with new members joining weekly. They were aiming for 5,000 by March 2011, when the official bid was due to be handed in to the NRL but passed that mark in 2010. Mortgage House signed a three-year deal to sponsor the Central Coast Bears, also becoming a major jersey sponsor for the Bears. In November 2010, it was reported that Ken Sayer, CEO of Mortgage House, planned to underwrite the bid for $10 million to help ensure their financial equity was shored up when the bid was submitted. Both major political parties showed support for the Central Coast Bears bid in 2010–2011, with Labor supporting the bid by granting $100,000 for the Bears, and the Liberal party supporting the bid by promising to acquire land at Mt Penang, Central Coast, NSW to build a state-of-the-art Sports Centre of Excellence in the lead up to the 2011 New South Wales state election.

With weekly membership drives and ongoing community involvement, the Central Coast Bears targeted entry into the NRL in 2015, but this date passed without admission. In 2016, it was reported that there were moves for the Bears to buy the Gold Coast Titans franchise. The General Manager of Norths and most capped player of the club Greg Florimo said at the time of North Sydney's first public interest in purchasing The Gold Coast licence as "the last chance". Florimo then went on to say "I don't see too many other options presenting themselves, The energy and finance that we put into the Central Coast bid really didn't come to fruition ... so we're going hard to the plate on this".

The Bears

After the Northern Eagles went defunct, the North Sydney Bears have continued to field teams in several grades of the NSW rugby league competitions, and were behind the failed Central Coast Bears bid in the mid-2000s. But as recently as April 2021 the Bears have expressed their intent on eventually returning the brand to the NRL competition. In 2018 they had explored the possibility of establishing a Western Bears franchise based in Perth.

On 27 October 2021, the Bears revealed their intention to return to the NRL, coinciding with a new logo. The proposed franchise, to be known simply as The Bears, would split home matches between various regional centres including Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Tamworth, Coffs Harbour and Central Coast, along with major cities Perth, Adelaide, Hobart and Darwin that are otherwise currently without NRL representation. They would allocate between four and six games at a potentially upgraded North Sydney Oval. The Bears intend to retain their 113-year history and traditional black and red colours.

Perth Bears

In August 2024, the North Sydney Bears and a Western Australian consortium headed by Cash Converters founders the Cumins family, signed off on an agreement to lodge an application for the Western Bears to enter a team in the 2027 NRL season. The logo would have been red, white and black with yellow as a nod to Western Australia, not the Western Reds as had been incorrectly reported.

On 8 October 2024, the bid was rejected by the NRL.

On 12 December 2024, North Sydney and the West Australian consortium missed out on selection to be the 18th team in the competition. The NRL instead decided to choose the PNG bid, but with ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys stating "The Western Australian situation is still progressing".

On 24 April 2025, the NRL agreed to a $50 million deal in principle with the Western Australian Government, thereby securing the return of the Bears brand to the competition after 28 years. On 8 May 2025, the NRL confirmed that the Perth Bears franchise would enter the competition from 2027.

North Sydney Leagues Club

Rebranded as Norths, the North Sydney Leagues Club was established by the district's football club, the North Sydney Bears, in 1955 in a house in the Sydney suburb of Neutral Bay. In 1964, the club moved to new premises, its current location, in Abbott Street, Cammeray.

In the fifty years the new building has stood, a number of redesigns and refurbishments have taken place. In 2014 facilities comprised two dining areas, function rooms, a 530-seat auditorium, a fitness and wellness centre, indoor and outdoor lounge areas, a bottle shop, a TAB, two squash courts, a courtesy bus service, a members rewards program and a multi-level car park for 320 vehicles. Membership in 2016 stood at 21,500.

In 1996, Norths merged with the North Sydney Bowling Club, which was established in 1888 and is the second oldest club (by one day) in Australia. This Bowling Club was transformed and re-branded as The Greens North Sydney in November 2014. Norths also amalgamated with the Seagulls, a border club at Tweed Heads on the far north coast of New South Wales, the oldest provincial rugby league club in Australia.

Local catchment area

Despite partially and fully leaving the NRL after the 1999 and 2001 seasons respectively, the Bears keep a large fanbase on Sydney's Lower North Shore, Upper North Shore, Hornsby Shire, (Although its support is strongest on the Lower North Shore). The North Sydney Bears are the only Sydney team without NRL representatives to have a Junior Rugby League District. The North Sydney Junior Rugby League District, In which clubs compete in a joint district with Manly Warringah. The following LGAS (With the number of Junior Teams in the area) fall within the North Sydney Bears catchment area:

Hornsby Shire (4 Teams)

Ku-ring-gai Council (1 Team)

Lane Cove Council (1 Team)

Mosman Council (0 Teams)

North Sydney Council (1 Team)

City of Willoughby (1 Team)

The following junior teams are affiliated with the North Sydney Bears:

Asquith Magpies, Hornsby Shire

Berowra Wallabies, Hornsby Shire

Ku-ring-gai Cubs, Ku-ring-gai Council (Play home games in Turramurra)

Lane Cove Tigers, Lane Cove Council

North Sydney Brothers, North Sydney Council

Northwest Hawks, Hornsby Shire, Dural

Pennant Hills-Cherrybrook Stags, Hornsby Shire

Willoughby Roos, City of Willoughby

Rivalries

Rivalry with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

Prior to the ill-fated Northern Eagles joint venture from 2000 to 2002, the rivalry between Manly and foundation club Norths was arguably one of rugby league's fiercest. Manly were admitted into the premiership in 1947 with North Sydney at the time being one of the main advocators for a team to be in Manly. In Manly's first season, most of the side was made up of former Norths players including captain Max Whitehead who played for Norths in their 1943 grand final defeat to Newtown. The intense feelings between the two sides continued over the next couple of decades fuelled as players switched between the two clubs. The biggest defection occurred in 1971 when Norths life member and one of the game's greatest wingers Ken Irvine joined Manly. Former Manly and North Sydney player Phil Blake said of the rivalry "It was certainly a game you looked forward playing in. The ground was always packed and it was always a great afternoon". In 2016, Norths and Manly played their final competitive senior game against each other in the Intrust Super Premiership NSW competition where Norths won the match 32–18. Manly had announced earlier in the 2016 season that they would be merging their lower grade sides with the Blacktown Workers teams to become the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles. The two clubs would then compete against each other with Norths and Manly Harold Matthews Cup, SG Ball and Jersey Flegg teams. In 2025, Manly returned to the NSW Cup after their partnership with Blacktown Workers ended meaning North Sydney and Manly would compete against each other again in a senior competition.

Club colours

When founded in 1908 the club adopted colours of red and black in a hooped stripes jersey. Unlike most of the other new rugby league clubs in Sydney in 1908, Norths did not follow the established district colours of the local rugby union and cricket clubs' colours, which were green, cardinal and gold. Norths have kept to red and black ever since 1908. The hooped jersey in various forms was used from 1908 to 1941.

Mascot

Barney the Bear is the official mascot of the North Sydney Bears.

Club songs

The Bears have had numerous songs throughout their history, the first was set to the tune of Teddy Bears' Picnic, some lyrics from the original were retained, although it is no longer used today. The official team song is "Mighty Bears come marching home", which is set to the tune of When Johnny Comes Marching Home. The team also has a run on song largely consisting of the words "Stand aside, here come the Mighty Bears", although the club website doesn't officially give the song a name.

Team of the Century

On 26 August 2006 the club announced their "Team of the Century".

Former players of note

Australia

New Zealand

Fred Ah Kuoi

Olsen Filipaina

Clayton Friend

Mark Graham

Daryl Halligan

Sean Hoppe

England

John Gray

Wales

Merv Hicks

Jim Mills

Coaches

^ Did not play first grade for Norths

Club records

Club records

5 Biggest Wins

62 points, 62–0 against North Queensland Cowboys at North Sydney Oval on 23 August 1998

54 points, 60–6 against North Queensland Cowboys at North Sydney Oval on 16 April 1995

52 points, 64–12 against Balmain Tigers at North Sydney Oval on 30 May 1999

52 points, 55–3 against Penrith at North Sydney Oval on, 16 July 1978

45 points, 45–0 against Cumberland at Wentworth Park on 25 July 1908

Biggest Loss

56 points, 3–59 against Glebe at Wentworth Park on 17 July 1915.

Highest Points

64 points, Norths defeated Balmain Tigers 64–12 at North Sydney Oval on 30 May 1999.

Highest Score Conceded

60 points, Brisbane Broncos defeated Norths 60–6 at QSAC Stadium on 26 April 1998.

Most first grade appearances for the club

285, Greg Florimo (1986–1998)

233, Gary Larson (1987–1999)

211, Billy Moore (1989–1999)

210, Norm Strong (1949–1962)

193, David Fairleigh (1989–1999)

Club honours

Premierships: (2) 1921, 1922

Runners-Up: (1) 1943

Minor Premierships: (2) 1921, 1922

Midweek Cup [as Amco Cup]: Runners-up: 1976

Reserve Grade Premierships: 1940, 1942, 1955, 1959, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993

Runners up in Reserve Grade: 1921, 1926, 1936, 1939, 1944, 1957, 2007, 2023, 2024

Third Grade Premiership [and equivalent competitions]: 1937, 1945, 1946, 1959

President's Cup: 1918, 1933

H 'Jersey' Flegg Memorial Trophy: 1998

Lennox Cup: 1949

Sevens: Runners-Up: 1996, 1997

City Cup: Winners: 1920, 1922 Runners-Up 1913, 1959

League Cup: Runners-Up: 1919

State Championship: Runners-Up: 1945

Pre-season Competition: Runners-Up: 1964, 1966, 1977

Channel 10 Challenge Cup: Winners: 1978