Perth Bears have continued to flesh out their squad for the 2027 season, confirming their 11th and 12th signings, including another Leeds Rhinos star.
The Bears will enter the NRL in 2027 as the 18th club in the competition and they’re now just one player short of a starting XIII after signing NRL back Chris Vea’ila and Leeds Rhinos’ second-rower James McDonnell.
Leeds Rhinos had confirmed last week that James McDonnell would be leaving at the end of the 2026 season for an NRL opportunity, with Serious About Rugby League reporting that move to be to Perth Bears.
That’s now been confirmed with McDonnell joining Rhinos’ teammate Harry Newman at the Bears with Newman among the club’s first two signings alongside Catalans Dragons’ 2026 recruit Toby Sexton.
Sexton’s teammate Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui has also signed and more Super League players are expected to join. Meanwhile, London Broncos pair Luke Smith and Emarly Bitungane have already penned deals with the Bears, meaning five of the twelve to have signed deals with the Bears are UK-based players.
Leeds Rhinos forward signs with Perth Bears
Perth announced the signing of McDonnell on their club website alongside the unveiling of outside back Chris Vea’ila.
The club announced: “Irish international James McDonnell and exciting outside-back prospect Chris Vea’ila are the latest recruits to join the Perth Bears for their inaugural season in 2027.
“Since debuting for Wigan in 2020, James McDonnell has played 87 Super League matches with stints at York City Knights and Leigh Centurions before joining Leeds Rhinos in 2023.
“The 25-year-old second rower had a standout season in 2025 and will join the Bears on a two-year deal to start in 2027.”
McDonnell’s 2025 season saw him earn a spot in the Super League Dream Team and it was a campaign that caught the eye of Bears coach Mal Meninga, who explained why they’ve signed the Leeds Rhinos man.
“I’ve kept an eye on McDonnell for a few years now and I thought he really went to another level in 2025,” Meninga said.
“I’m confident he will develop more this season and I’m excited to see what he can bring to the Bears.”
As for Vea’ila, who debuted for Cronulla Sharks last year but spent most of the year in the reserve grade, Meninga pointed to the fact he will continue to improve, just like McDonnell.
He said: “Similar to James, I think he will continue to improve this season and be a real asset for the Bears in 2027 and beyond.
“I feel really confident we are building the foundations for this club to be successful now and into the future.”
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