Parramatta Eels Superstar/legend died in a plane Crash few minutes ago…

Parramatta players have backed former coach Brad Arthur as the right man to build the NRL’s mooted Perth team from the ground up.

Rugby league powerbrokers are pressing ahead with plans to build towards a 20-team competition, with an 18th franchise likely from as soon as 2027.

Bids from Perth, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand are all options for the NRL’s next licences, with the Western Australia-based bid the firm favourites to come first.

Solid grassroots participation numbers, a low concentration of professional sporting teams and a recently refurbished stadium are selling points for Perth.

Perth representatives are in Sydney this week to meet with both the North Sydney Bears and Newtown Jets as possible partners in the franchise.

But coaching is also a top priority.

AAP has been told that Arthur’s management reached out to the Perth bid team last week, prompting a meeting between them and the former Eels coach.

Now a free agent after being axed in May, Arthur took charge of the Eels when they were at their lowest ebb in 2014 following two straight wooden spoons.

He made Parramatta regular semi-finalists on his watch, culminating in a 2022 grand final appearance.

The most-capped Parramatta coach in history also has links to a Perth side, given his wife was born in the city and still has family in Western Australia.

Arthur’s former charges believe his man-management skills and successful rebuild of the Parramatta club make him a strong choice for the potential Perth team.