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\n Leeds secondrower James McDonell celebrates with fellow Perth Bears recruit Harry Newman after scoring a try against St Helens.
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Bears recruit James McDonnell says a couple of pieces of fateful happenstance – involving Leeds team-mate Harry Newman and girlfriend Olivia – have led him to be starting a new life in Perth.<\/p>\n
The 187cm Ireland international signed a two-season deal with Mal Meninga\u2019s Bears, where he\u2019ll join Rhinos team-mate and England star Newman – one of the expansion franchise\u2019s first captures for 2027.<\/p>\n
McDonnell, who moved a little east from his native Wigan four years ago, tells NRL.com he would not be venturing much, much further in the same direction except for inadvertently photo bombing Newman\u2019s highlights reel.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think he recommended me – I think they\u2019d seen a bit of me and Harry playing together,\u201d said McDonnell, who will line up alongside Newman for Leeds in the February 28 Vegas clash with Hull KR.<\/p>\n
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\n Leeds secondrower James McDonell celebrates with fellow Perth Bears recruit Harry Newman after scoring a try against St Helens.
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\u201cIf you had an interest in Harry \u2026 we played pretty much every single game beside each other last year, you\u2019d see a lot of me in his clips.<\/p>\n
“I think they\u2019d seen something that they liked so they just expressed interest and \u2026 I heard it through Harry initially but then it was a conversation with Mal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Negotiations go back two months, he says, adding: \u201cThere were a couple of logistics but from the off really, I was pretty keen to get over. It was just a case of fine tuning the contract\u201c.<\/p>\n
Having been stumbled across by the likes of Bears\u2019 recruitment manager Dane Campbell via Newman\u2019s highlights reel, the next hurdle in moving to the other side of the world was off the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got a partner now for three years so it\u2019s getting serious now where we\u2019re obviously trying to plan the rest of our lives together,\u201d the 26-year-old forward said of Olivia.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s obviously a big commitment for her and obviously myself to go over there.\u00a0
\u201cIt\u2019s my dream that we\u2019re chasing so obviously I\u2019m thankful to the missus. She\u2019s fully in board and really excited.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s kinda worked out pretty well. She\u2019s got friends over there. She had a step-dad that lived over there for 17 years in Perth, so he\u2019s got the lay of the land. It\u2019s aligned pretty well.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d go on my own if I didn\u2019t have any commitments, definitely, but obviously when you\u2019ve got a partner it\u2019s about them really. You want them to be happy and then you\u2019re happy and you\u2019re playing well really. That\u2019s how it goes.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it worked out really well because she already had the connections over there in Perth so it was like a telling sign for us that it should work out well over there.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Perth Bears unveil inaugural logo<\/p>\n
For Newman, a 25-year-old veteran of four Tests including England\u2019s most recent international against Australia, it was now or never.<\/p>\n
“I’m just excited about the opportunity. I\u2019ve had the chance to go over to Australia before. I feel like if it\u2019s not now, I won\u2019t ever go,” Newman said.<\/p>\n
“I feel like I\u2019m in a position where I\u2019m ready to go and do those things. The lifestyle, where we\u2019ll be living, where I\u2019ll be training the teams we\u2019ll be coming up against \u2026 it\u2019s an exciting prospect.<\/p>\n
England international Harry Newman has spoken for the first time since announcing his decision to move to the NRL in 2027. He chatted to us on the first of our daily podcasts from the club’s training camp in Tenerife this week.
Watch in full here https:\/\/t.co\/EDHFdDqUfP<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/8tXn60HwOb<\/a><\/p>\n