LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
North Sydney fans are celebrating as the Perth Bears have officially been confirmed to end their 25-year NRL exile.
There was some uncertainty in Norths Cammeray about the timing of the announcement from Perth, leading to speculation that it would be made at noon or 1 PM.
As the wait continued, Bears legend Greg Florimo expressed his growing impatience.
Eventually, WA Premier Roger Cook, alongside Peter V'landy, announced that the Bears would return to the league in Western Australia.
Florimo eagerly anticipated the details of the announcement but needed to digest the initial confirmation first.
"I didn't quite get past the first line because of the cheer," he reflected on the moment.
He recalled a previous headline from December that proclaimed, "the Bears are back," noting the series of false hopes they had experienced.
For Florimo, the anticipation was palpable, having reassured his mother multiple times over the past two years, saying, "not yet, Mum, not yet," until he could confirm the news himself.