Bring back John Fifita
First Grade
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Some of those blue-chippers have stuck around due to being "work arounds" to NRL sponsorship (Toyota when Holden was a major sponsor, Vodafone with Telstra). Pretty sure there is another attempt from the NRL to cancel the Vodafone sponsorship at the moment...
But yes, a lot of those blue chip sponsors seem to have gone the way of the dodo. At the same time, a lot of previous sponsors have either been local businesses or mid-sized companies for a short sponsorship period. Realistically this is only the second team with a major gambling sponsor after the Titans, with the other clubs having gambling sponsorship in less lucrative spots on the jersey or shorts. So I'm not sure if it is actually bringing in big dollars, rather gambling companies taking advantage of cut-rate vacant spots on clothing. I feel as if the Dragons didn't have Sportsbet on their shorts until halfway through the season, so those spots would of come cheap.
This isn't just the NRL for me either. I'd have loved to buy the first Leeds United Premier League top for well over a decade, but the gambling sponsor means it can piss off for now (the Premier League is BRUTAL for gambling sponsorship).
That workaround strategy reminds of Big Kerry back in the early 80’s. Channel 7 had the rights to the Australian Touring Cars and so Kerry Packer hooked up with Kevin Bartlett and got him a thumping big Chevy Camaro to race through the season
With livery that would stick it up the Seven Network …