THE NSW State of Origin side has never been more powerful.
While the Blues have lost 11 of their past 12 series, The Daily Telegraph can reveal the NSW jumper is poised to become the richest strip in Australian sport.
And it comes on the back of beer giant Tooheys replacing fierce rivals VB as a sponsor of the Blues.
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It means the entire Blues strip will be worth a cool $4 million from next season — extraordinary money for a three-game series.
That equates to $16,666 per minute of play through sponsorship alone.
Tooheys will become a shorts sponsor worth about $1 million a year with the total contract $4 million over four years.
The naming partner and front-of-the-jersey sponsor for NSW will be announced in November.
It is understood The Star will also be renewing their partnership with the NSWRL.
Tooheys was one of the Blues first sponsors.
Tooheys has a rich and successful history with the NSW side. In fact, Tooheys was one of the first sponsors of the NSW Blues back in 1991.
Lion marketing director Ben Slocombe spoke passionately about the deal.
“Tooheys supported the Blues from the start, and we’ve never stopped supporting them really, so it is fantastic to have NSW’s biggest beer back officially with the NSW Blues,” he said.
NSW and Tooheys were partners for 13 years with NSW winning seven series in that time.
Tooheys currently has commercial deals with five NRL clubs.
NSWRL head of commercial Jodie Cross confirmed a lucrative deal had been struck with Lion.
“Tooheys has a rich history with the Blues and rugby league in NSW so it makes it a natural fit for them to be back as the official beer of the NSW Blues,” Cross said.
“We are really proud to have renewed our association and our partnership with the number one selling pack beer in NSW it underlines the strength of the Blues brand and the NSWRL’s commercial strategy.”
Tooheys sponsored the Blues for several years in the 1990s.
NSW lost the series 2-1
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...n/news-story/b6e930ae4e19eb227a71cc664eeb547f year, a devastating result after comfortably claiming the opening game.
But the power of Origin continues to be evident through sponsorship, commercial, merchandise and television ratings.
The NSWRL review into this year’s series continues.
Influential board members have privately backed Laurie Daley to be offered a new coaching deal.
Daley has expressed a desire to return if a contract offer is lodged. It’s unknown whether the new contract for Daley would span one or two years.
