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NRL preaching to converted, not living on a prayer

Anthony Sharwood

by Anthony Sharwood

03 Mar 12:28pm

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Filed under: Advertising, Bon Jovi, Code Wars, Nrl, Rugby League, Sport

74 comments

Flames, biffo, Bon Jovi, a sneaky Benji Marshall flick pass, more flames, more biffo, more Bon Jovi, more spectacular tries, then to top it all off, Todd Carney puffing out his chest in what may be an expression of his feelings about the drink driving laws.

Oof! Bam! Thwok! Rugby league is back, and the NRL has cleverly ushered in the new season with an ad which is preaching to the converted, reaching out to the inner bogan in all sports fans.

The 2009 official AFL ad, where AFL players mimicked the skills found in such sporting arenas as a bullring, the Hong Kong races and the Paris Dakar rally, was undoubtedly both clever and brilliantly executed. But in retrospect, it was nudging that wanky ball of string territory. Not so this year’s NRL ad.

Yesterday, some idiot called Andy Sherwood or Art Shorewood, or some such, bagged the NRL ad on Sky News, claiming it was the same version of every NRL ad we’ve seen over the last 20 years, from Tina Turner to the Hoodoo Gurus.

Today, he must be feeling like the worst barometer of public opinion since Gary Morgan predicted a Mark Latham victory in 2004. What Sadwood totally failed to understand is that the NRL knows what its fans like, and is not afraid to dish it up in the kind of portions you’d find at Sizzler.

And by the way, there’s a terrific Sizzler across the road from Kogarah Oval, home ground of reigning NRL premiers St George Illawarra.

But back to the new NRL ad. Just how popular is it? Look no further than the official Bon Jovi Facebook page, where 10 thousand people have already given it the thumbs up. Many of these people are Americans. But many Australians have invaded the site, and voiced their approval too.

There’s now a call for Bon Jovi to perform at this year’s NRL grand final in early October. The band will be in Singapore at the time, so hey, what’s a quick 10 hour detour? Let’s just hope someone remembers the extension cord which was lacking when Billy Idol played – or tried to play – the 2002 NRL decider.

Whether Bon Jovi makes it or not, the NRL is clearly off on the right foot in 2011. While the AFL embarks on its bold, expansionist plans, the NRL continues to do what it does best, and capture working class hearts and minds in NSW, Queensland and increasingly, New Zealand.

That rugby league is Australia’s number two winter code seemingly doesn’t bother the NRL. If it reaches out and grabs new fans, good. If it doesn’t, so be it. But one thing this year’s ad makes brutally clear is that it will fight to keep the converted.

GWS coach and unofficial western Sydney AFL ambassador Kevin Sheedy must be shuddering. And Andrew Demetriou would have noticed the shot across the bow too. He may also care to note the following comment on Bon Jovi’s website from Bon Jovi fan Amy Waller, who lives in Kalgoorlie and follows the West Coast Eagles.

“What a way to kick off the NRL Grand Final in Sydney - Bon Jovi rockin the house with 100 000 madhatters!!! I’d convert to league that day to witness that!!”

Perhaps it’s time the AFL pandered a little harder to its bogan faithful too.

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74 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • ibast says:

      11:42am | 03/03/11

      NRL and Bob Jovi, a match made in 1986 and stuck there.  Both were relevant and better then.  Now they’re just like a couple that have been married for 30 years.  The kids have grown up and left home and the couple is stuck doing the same old thing.

      Reply

    • Adam Diver says:

      11:59am | 03/03/11

      I will pay that one.

      One thing I don’t understand with modern sport is the constant need to expand, V8’s, AFL, NRL, A league, super rugby its like some sort of christianity mission trying to convert non-believers.

    • hot tub political machine says:

      12:16pm | 03/03/11

      AD, call me an economic lightweight but I believe captialism relies on ever increasing profit or else your investors get angry and pull the plug, and sport in Aus is a great microcosm of capitalism. (See bogan drink marketing/michael clark)

    • BK says:

      12:59pm | 03/03/11

      @Adam

      Good point. The ARL should accept that some people will never like rugby league and aim to please existing followers.

    • fairsfair says:

      11:59am | 03/03/11

      It is all about grabbing attention and a middle aged man in leather pants will be grabbing more than just that.

      I’ll say its worked, but we’ll soon be sick of it Ant. It is only the start of the season. Five viewings and we’ll be seeking to watch Gordon Tallis vs JonBon in UFC. 

      I used to like that Captain song by Biffy Clyro - until Channel 10 and their crap AFL ads ruined Biffy for life.

      Reply

    • Markus says:

      01:12pm | 03/03/11

      They tried their damn hardest to kill the Dropkick Murphy’s for me, but I stayed strong!

    • Seanr says:

      01:25pm | 03/03/11

      My favourite band Markus, glad to hear there are other fans out there. Thankfully I don’t watch AFL.

    • James1 says:

      01:35pm | 03/03/11

      Nothing can kill the Dropkick Murphys.

    • Shifter says:

      02:06pm | 03/03/11

      New album out too.

      Let’s go Murphy’s let’s go!

      @Markus - I’m on the other side of the fence, I love AFL and DKM so it was a marriage made in heaven for me. It’s a pity I can’t bring myself to support the Bruins in the NHL.

    • Davo from St Kilda says:

      11:22pm | 03/03/11

      @ Sean - you don’t watch the AFL, huh? So you’re the one! smile

    • Seano says:

      06:01pm | 04/03/11

      @Davo - the NRL out rates the AFL on TV, so there are plenty of people not watching the AFL…more every day a your arrogance continues to alientate.

    • Marrickvilain says:

      12:02pm | 03/03/11

      Osama Bin Jovi? At the grand final? That sounds dangerous.
      Maybe Cory Bernardi has something to say about it.

      Reply

    • K says:

      12:13pm | 03/03/11

      Did “circumstances change” Ant?

      Reply

    • darren says:

      12:18pm | 03/03/11

      I don’t understand the point of this advertisement.

      There’s can be no doubt it’s motivated by anti AFL paranioa, but does the NRL seriously think that swarms of NRL fans are going to defect to the AFL? The AFL certainly doesn’t. Those people the ad appeals to certainly aren’t. Those people that aren’t diehard NRL fans aren’t going to be motivated by their “our house” rhetoric either, they may even repel them. So what’s the point, what does it achieve? All it does is give a warm glow to the diehards.

      You mentioned some guy said it was like every NRL ad ever, on reflection I think that’s a fair statement. I think it’s very similar to the Tina Turner advertisement in a lot of respects.

      If they cared, the AFL and Kevin Sheedy would be quite satisfied.

      Reply

    • SM says:

      01:10pm | 03/03/11

      “does the NRL seriously think that swarms of NRL fans are going to defect to the AFL? The AFL certainly doesn’t”

      Don’t they?  Wonder why they’re starting a team in Western Sydney then?

    • Paul says:

      02:22pm | 03/03/11

      SM - They are starting a team in western sydney because they know that although most people in sydney may have a rough association with a league team the majority don’t fanatically support a team you only have to look at attendances.

      There are plenty of people like myself in Western Sydney who can not stand league and will support the GWS giants ( my family are already members along with 8500 others).

      AFL is this nations only indigenous game and as such as long as there are australians in australia it will always have some level of support,  even in Sydney.

    • darren says:

      02:23pm | 03/03/11

      I’d have though it obvious that not everyone in Sydney likes or follows the NRL. Let’s take a look at the figures. Out of a population in Sydney of roughly 4,500,000, typically only around 100,000 people actually attend NRL matches. If we look at television ratings, the best rating game on a given weekend is typically less than 700,000, which leaves another 3,800,000 people not actively following the NRL.

      While it’s not a perfect analysis because you’ll get a fair number different people every week, and a lot of casual and fair weather support, those are large enough numbers to suggest the AFL doesn’t need to attract NRL supporters to be successful.

      That’s why the NRL advertisement is such a failure. The AFL is interested in growing the pie, while the NRL is obsessed about protecting something nobody wants anyway.

    • SM says:

      03:19pm | 03/03/11

      @Darren

      “Out of a population in Sydney of roughly 4,500,000, typically only around 100,000 people actually attend NRL matches. If we look at television ratings, the best rating game on a given weekend is typically less than 700,000, which leaves another 3,800,000 people not actively following the NRL.”

      glad you aren’t my accountant Darren

      700,000 might be the “best rating game” of the round, but you’ve not counted the viewers from the other 7 games that are played every weekend

      7 games at a few hundred thousand viewers each puts a big dent in your 3,800,000 figure

    • Bonestar says:

      03:28pm | 03/03/11

      Paul, Rugby League came to be in Australia it’s indigenous aswell. I say good luck to you and your new club GWS not everyone can handle the excitement and thrills of Rugby League. AFL compared to league is like comparing a cup of tea with no sugar to a can of Bundy rum.

    • Markus says:

      03:33pm | 03/03/11

      @SM, your figures also don’t take into account that the same pool of viewers watching every single game. Or at least most of them.
      This would account for a hell of a lot of the numbers.

    • Alex says:

      03:44pm | 03/03/11

      SM -

      If you are interested you can refer to the following site to check TV ratings for both AFL and Rugby League:

      http://www.talkingfooty.com/tv_ratings_2010.php

      You will see that on any level there is plenty of room in a city of millions for the AFL to have a crack at another team in Sydney. You will also note that the NRL rates about a 1 million less than the AFL most weeks.

    • Sad Sad Reality says:

      03:48pm | 03/03/11

      Paul, you shouldn’t be allowed to live in Western Sydney. You’re a disgrace to the area

    • darren says:

      04:14pm | 03/03/11

      Lol@me, I made a mistake. I was counting the aggregate ratings for the whole country, not Sydney. The best NRL ratings in the Sydney market are actually much lower, at an average around the 400,000 mark. :D

      Let’s satisfy SM above and optimistically assume that every viewer for every NRL game broadcast into Sydney over the weekend is unique. That would push they average up to around a million still leaving 3,500,000 not watching the NRL.

    • Davo from St Kilda says:

      08:49pm | 03/03/11

      @ Alex – excellent work, my friend. I’m so sick of the rugby followers claiming that the NRL outrates AFL on TV, and always without any proof or evidence. Check the link in Alex’s comment, people. Twice as many people watch AFL on TV per week than those who watch NRL. And despite the constant claim of NRL fans, the AFL outrates NRL on foxtel too.

    • Larry says:

      12:23pm | 03/03/11

      You’re being facetious right? It clearly bothers the NRL *a lot* that it’s number twos.

      Reply

    • Justin says:

      12:49pm | 03/03/11

      The only number twos the NRL is bothered about belong to Nate Myles.

    • Justin says:

      01:43pm | 03/03/11

      Actually, just what’s going on the 51 second mark where Nate Myles is bending over & there appears to be flames coming out of his….?

      Someone with a wicked sense of humour at the ad agency.

    • fairsfair says:

      05:45pm | 03/03/11

      @Justin - hahahhahha! I just watched it again purely for that - hilarious.
      I’ll wait for Womans Day to break the story of his Curry addiction.

    • Anthony Sharwood

      Anthony Sharwood says:

      06:11pm | 03/03/11

      And that’s not the only interesting bit. At 22 seconds, the Tigers fan in the retro jersey with number 4 on it is none other than Puncher Leo Shanahan’s little brother Dominic!!! Leo was there too, but missed the cut. Too uggers probably.

    • Jack Donaghy says:

      12:53pm | 03/03/11

      Of course it’s mainly preaching to the converted - all advertisements for sporting codes are - no matter how well executed they are… 

      Like an American political attack ad, they’re intended to “energise the faithful”, to get them to dust off their foam (or inflatable) fingers, get off the couch (or get them to stay there?), and get ready for the new season…  and this is pretty much the limit of an advterisement’s power - they’re essentially an expensive sign saying: “The Footy’s Back On”. 

      Since the advent of the “TV era” no regional sporting preferences in any country anywhere, have been substantially altered; so expecting that a mere television commercial can somehow “engineer” significant passion in a sport in places where it is relatively obscure is simply ridiculous…  The evidence is irrefutable: you simply can’t buy what takes decades or centuries to grow. 

      This leaves the only other purpose of a sporting code’s advertisement as fodder for keyboard football code warriors to have something else to bicker and point-score about…

      In any case, as one of the already faithful, I doff my hat to the NRL for a pretty decent return to form on the ad front and am at present dusting off the old Blue and Gold inflatable finger… but I don’t expect to be watching alongside the entirety of Bon Jovi’s fanbase.

      Reply

    • darren says:

      02:31pm | 03/03/11

      The AFL “I’d like to see that” campaign was obviously directed at a younger audience not familiar with the sport, as to was the last one mixed up with other sports.

    • Justin says:

      02:36pm | 03/03/11

      The “I’d like to see that” campaign was directed at a younger audience? The one that starred a 100 yr old George Burns?

    • darren says:

      02:45pm | 03/03/11

      *eyeroll*

      No. The AFL was obviously trying to appeal to the nursing home market.

    • Justin says:

      01:03pm | 03/03/11

      “Oh yeah.” “Hell yeah.” Deep stuff.

      Mind you, it’s better than that Chumbwumba song they used a while back. Mind you Todd Carney would have been a good star of that campaign:
      He drinks a whisky drink
      He drinks a vodka drink
      He drinks a lager drink
      He drinks a cider drink

      Pissing the night away…..

      Reply

    • Jim says:

      02:20pm | 03/03/11

      Hmmm…well I heard the Super14 ad campaign fizzled. They tried to get every highlight in from the 2010 season but could only make a 15-second ad.

      Reply

    • richo says:

      02:23pm | 03/03/11

      The AFL ad was a load of crap. They’re trying to portray their players as being better then every other sports person on earth, please. Not once in that ad did they fall over and fumble the ball, not once did they miss a goal, even though they have the entire sideline to aim at, that’s the real truth of AFL. To suggest that AFL players are harder then NFL players, or stronger then Rugby players, or more skilful then soccer players, or that they could beat up a boxer is the biggest laugh I’ve had in ages.

      Ant you touched on it, it was wanky. At least the NRL knows what is it and who its fans are, you may say they are preaching to the converted, but at least they’re not offending every other sport by saying they are better then them. Do I really want to follow AFL because in an ad they claim they can run faster then horses? Or that they can fight off bulls?

      The NRL ad is trying to tell me something, the AFL ad is trying to sell me something, that’s the difference.

      Reply

    • TimB says:

      02:53pm | 03/03/11

      The AFL has their players bullfighting?

      Too bad the Chaser’s WoE isn’t on anymore. They could do an Ad Roadtest.
      With real bulls.

      It would be glorious.

      Actually if memory serves me right they did do a roadtest on that wanky Melbourne string ad. Gold.

    • richo says:

      03:07pm | 03/03/11

      @TimB, yes the chaser’s ads were hilarious. There is a part in the ad in which AFL players out run and out manoeuvre 4wd’s, making one of the 4wd’s roll over, I think Ricky (glug, glug, I got caught drink driving) Nixon might have been behind the wheel of that one.

    • Sad Sad Reality says:

      03:51pm | 03/03/11

      Richo, I once overheard an AFL fan say the game had more skill in it than the soccer World Cup. I had to thank him. Funniest joke I ever heard.

      Cross country basketball. Two and a half hours of knock on. AFL is the most embarrassing and pathetic sport known to man. Two teams of a hundred battling over a constantly spilled ball, the ref throwing the ball over his head or bouncing it. What a joke.

    • richo says:

      04:35pm | 03/03/11

      @Sad Sad Reality. Cross country Basketball, hahaha, I’m going to have to start using that one from now on.

    • Justin says:

      02:34pm | 03/03/11

      When is the NSW Cup ad coming out?

      Reply

    • Alex says:

      02:35pm | 03/03/11

      There are millions of people in Western Sydney and I can assure you that the majority do not follow a Rugby league team fanatically other wise the average attendances would not be down below 20000 for the western sydney teams ( parramatta, Tigers and Penrith).

      There are plenty of people who the AFL can chase and they only need a small % of the undecided for the GWS team to be a success. Don’t forget that there will be only 2 AFL teams in Sydney so they only need a fraction of the NRL support for the clubs to be as successful.

      Reply

    • Bonestar says:

      03:33pm | 03/03/11

      Sydney sport fans are quite different to Melbourne’s. If you look at TV ratings they are higher for NRL games, yet more people in Melbourne are willing to go to the grounds to watch AFL games ( i think they have a better transport system). As a big fan of NRL i can’t go past the comfort of my loungeroom/local pub watching the game on telly without the hassle of half arsed bus and train services.

    • richo says:

      03:56pm | 03/03/11

      @Bonestar. You also have too consider where they built the stadiums in Sydney, some of them are in shocking places. Whereas the MCG and even Etihad are quite easy to get too in Melbourne.

      In Sydney, if the stadium locations and transport to those places were better I’m sure more people would attend. It is especially hard for families, I know I have to walk over 15 minutes to get to the Sydney football stadium (after catching public transport) now whilst a 15 minute walk doesn’t sound too far for an adult, it is a lot harder for kids with little legs, to the point were the hassle and whining from the kids doesn’t seem worth it. I like you would rather watch it at home (as would the kids).

    • alan says:

      06:18am | 04/03/11

      Boys, if you don’t get to the ground and support your teams you can have no complaint if your teams fold in the future as you sitting at home sipping on a VB doesn’t help your clubs one bit.

      You 2 sum up the NRL’s issues nicely and it is the reason why AFL clubs like Collingwood had revenue of $75 million last year while NRLs club operate on about 1/6th of that.

    • Markus says:

      09:30am | 04/03/11

      @Bonestar, I have also heard that AFL intentionally delay the Melbourne broadcasts of the match of the round clashes each week so that people go and watch it live. Have yet to confirm it, but if true it’s a smart move as gate takings far outweigh any TV sponsorship for that same number of viewers for a single game.

    • stephen says:

      03:18pm | 03/03/11

      The Rugby-League playing ground is too short, (the distance between the goal-posts, I mean).
      Extended, we would see more kicking and better runs, (less distance between players.)
      This game, to me, always looks constricted.

      Reply

    • richo says:

      03:34pm | 03/03/11

      So too improve Rugby League to suit your tastes they should rip up all their stadiums make them bigger and introduce more AFL-style kicking. Doesn’t sound feasible if you ask me.

    • Seano says:

      03:50pm | 03/03/11

      This is exactly the reason AFL doesn’t work on TV.

    • stephen says:

      03:52pm | 03/03/11

      League needs more money and it will get it from TV.
      AFL is the success here because it is a spectacle, e.g. the size of the ground dictates the kind of play, which dictates the scan of the cameras, and which makes the game good for viewers.
      The NRL will have to adapt and do a bit of catch-up, cause the new West- Sydney AFL is gonna be a runaway success..right in the middle of the ‘volcano’.

    • stephen says:

      03:56pm | 03/03/11

      Seano: notice too many close-ups on NRL games. It tires the viewer.
      We need to see especially the defensive play in action at any one time.
      The ground is too bloody small.

    • Seano says:

      06:59pm | 03/03/11

      @Stephen - you do realise that NRL out rates AFL on TV. Silly.

    • Ando says:

      09:06am | 04/03/11

      The ground is too small?Your happy with the width but not the length?Making the ground longer would not change the tactics of the game at all.

    • stephen says:

      03:29pm | 03/03/11

      More distance I meant.

      Reply

    • Seano says:

      03:49pm | 03/03/11

      “The 2009 official AFL ad, where AFL players mimicked the skills found in such sporting arenas as a bullring, the Hong Kong races and the Paris Dakar rally, was undoubtedly both clever and brilliantly executed.”

      Bullshit! The AFL ad was typical of the misplaced arrogance of the AFL as a whole. Implying that AFL players are as good as or better than players of every other major sport on the planet in their natural environments was deluded crap. Talk about preaching to the converted because those of us who don’t support the AFL were offended by the arrogance not impressed by the CGI. And let’s face it, if your average AFL player suddenly found himself in the NRL with the prospect of having to tackle a rampaging Greg Inglis he’d likely piss himself.

      The biggest joke of that ad was it’s the AFL who are desperate to steal players from the NRL and not the other way around.

      Reply

    • richo says:

      04:23pm | 03/03/11

      @Seano. Absolutely true. AFL players thinking they could dominate any sport they choose. Yet Karmichel Hunt was the best player on the field for his AFL team, what has he played one game for the Suns and about 3 more at High School. If they could beat all others in different sports shouldn’t they at least look better then the guy who has only just started playing theirs?

      Not too mention 47 years ago the VFL (now AFL) players issued a challenge to a soccer team from Melbourne, saying that AFL players could beat them at their own game. The result was that the soccer guys flogged them. With Ron Barassi having to leave the field injured, they couldn’t even out muscle soccer players.

    • Evan Findlay says:

      05:22pm | 03/03/11

      Seano,
      AFL players wouldn’t lower their skill base to play Rugby League.
      The idea of AFL is not to get tackled, you use your skill, athleticism and football smarts to allude your opposition.
      How you get excited by a player running with a ball under his arm at his opposite player is beyond me. The game is too slow, has far too many stoppages, (still don’t understand the point of your scrums), and the only skills required are throwing a ball and running. Ho hum!

    • Seano says:

      06:58pm | 03/03/11

      I didn’t realises Hunt was doing so well but I’m not surprised. So much for being the best of the best.

      PS. Enjoyed the story, seems the AFL’s arrogance isn’t a recent phenomena.

    • Davo from St Kilda says:

      11:18pm | 03/03/11

      @ Seano - every time you whinge about the AFL you use the word ‘arrogance’. What exactly is your problem, mate? Using the word arrogance implies that you feel that the AFL doesn’t consider the NRL in any way. Do you know why? It’s because the NRL has never been considered a threat or a competitor to AFL. That’s why our league is continually expanding, while rugby is struggling to hold even it’s own turf. Only NSW people think that rugby can compete with the AFL. Then again, it’s only NSW people who live in the past and think that the 2000 Olympics were anything special.

    • Patrick says:

      06:08am | 04/03/11

      Richo - what game were you watching where Karmichael Hunt was the best payer on the ground, on the weekend his effort was solid as he was giving away plenty of size to his opponent ( 15cm and 10 kg)  although with 3 kicks for the game I hardly think he was dominant.

      Karmichael has trained hard now for 18 months and will likely be selected in a low key backline position for the Suns first game but it is unlikely he will ever be a star of the code.

    • Seano says:

      06:13am | 04/03/11

      Genius, the idea of Rugby League is to not get tackled also. The problem is that unlike AFL there’s no where to hide.

    • darren says:

      09:14am | 04/03/11

      No it doesn’t actually. It’s not even close.

    • Davo from St Kilda says:

      03:52pm | 03/03/11

      It really doesn’t matter what the NRL ever do - it’s just rearranging chairs on the titanic. Get on board with the premier sport, guys. Only three weeks till the mighty Blues kick off the season! smile

      Reply
    • Anthony Sharwood

      Anthony Sharwood says:

      06:08pm | 03/03/11

      Davo, where’ve you been all day? I’ve been waiting for ya. Just wait’ll I write a piece about my man crush on Benji marshall later this season. I will convert you my friend, if not to a fan then at least to a non-hater

    • Paul says:

      06:21pm | 03/03/11

      its an ad for chrissake, why does it need this level of analysis. the money paid by tv indicates the level of support they have and based on that cash neither code is going anywhere in a hurry. nobody watches ads anyway - its all white noise and the things we watch while footballers of any code are eating oranges.. lighten up people.

      Reply

    • Vinny says:

      07:12pm | 03/03/11

      So the NRL ad is a little bogan, a little blue collar and aimed at Westie’s, so what, at least they know who their target audience is. The AFL on the other hand is trying to be all things to all people, stating that it is the only true Australian game, then stating it’s the game for immigrants, they then say they are the game for women, whilst desperately trying to state how manly they are. They then advertise that it is a game played by the worlds greatest athletes, but then say it’s a game people of all skill levels can play. The AFL then argue that they are the only national sport, but conveniently forget for the majority of their history they were known as the VFL. The AFL are trying so hard to be all things to all people, but all that spin comes from a place of little substance. The AFL is just as bogan and blue collar as Rugby League, one is proud of where it comes from, the same can’t be said of the other.

      Reply

    • The Badger says:

      08:20pm | 03/03/11

      Is it a requirement that Rugby players not have a neck?

      seriously, what’s that about?

      Are their heads beaten into their torsos, or do they remove the head, cut off the neck and replace the head on the torso?

      Reply

    • Steve Smith says:

      09:42pm | 03/03/11

      Of course sport ads aim at the converted… it’s easier.

      Otherwise, it’s like AFL fans commenting on a blog about NRL, a sad waste of time.

      Reply

    • It's the right thing to do says:

      10:56pm | 03/03/11

      Oh Anthony, your an advertisers dream, you fall for anything.

      Watched the ad, seems the same thing each year, a different band singing a similar song with the same old NRL highlights.  This time it has some flames and some colour.  Oooooh.

      10,000 didn’t give the ad the thumbs up, they gave the band the thumbs up mate, there are many people around the world who idolise Bon Jovi, like they do with Metallica, Guns and Roses, anything they do is followed by their loyal fan base, they will give the tick of approval to anything that has the band’s name on it. They went to the band’s homepage mate, they didn’t goto the NRL homepage.

      So don’t get too carried away mate, as much as you’d love to see NRL get to be No. 1 in Australia sporting code, one little ad isn’t going to change that in a hurry.

      It’s the first time I’ve read one of your articles, but I’ll be eagerly waiting the next one, hoping it gets better than this pro NRL rubbish, lol.

      Reply

    • Mr. Clive Thompson says:

      01:13am | 04/03/11

      How many fans/bogans do you think would attend games if booze wasn’t available. Be honest.

      Reply

    • Markus says:

      09:38am | 04/03/11

      I wonder when the NRL are finally going to make the connection between the $6 beers - or worse, the $6 midstrength only beers - and the drop in live attendance.

      Fox Sports have been showing a lot of ‘classic’ cricket matches lately, most of which are of course from the Border/Lillee era. I notice that nearly every guy there had his own esky. That would have been the life…

    • PC says:

      06:14am | 04/03/11

      With a plethora of great Australian bands, I find it very disappointing that a foreign band was used (same goes for Pink in the V8’s ad). 

      If you want people to support a NATIONAL league, why not use some homegrown talent???

      Reply

    • Kath says:

      09:37am | 04/03/11

      I think you’re all forgetting something.

      Who loves Bon Jovi?  It’s not only the stereotypical rugby league supporter; there’s also the thirty something year old women who have had a crush on JBJ since High School and will gladly listen and watch them.  It’s like the Baby Boomers and the Eagles.

      Now these women may not be your typical rugby league followers, but they also have kids.  And the NRL want to get access to the kids so that they can flog the merchandise and get the revenue from TV audiences.

      NRL is under competition for juniors from soccer and AFL; because (rightly or wrongly) those sports are seen as safer because they have less body contact than rugby league and rugby union.  Get the mums in with JBJ and you have once less argument over which sport Junior is going follow.

      Reply

    • Leanne says:

      04:23pm | 04/03/11

      2 of my greatest loves in life are Bon Jovi and Footy, and when I talk footy, I mean the AFL. The fact that Bon Jovi are supporting the NRL isn’t gonna change the way I think. Why? Because I live in WA and it’s a AFL state, no ads, incentives is EVER going to change that. I’ll watch the ad, but that’s about it. Personally, I would have loved them to do a song for the AFL, but hey, that’s life…........I’m not gonna love Bon Jovi any less! I guess it pays that Russell Crowe is such a strong advocate of a NRL team and he can throw around his name to get things moving…...............

      Reply
 
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