Reece Walsh and Nathan Cleary could cash in millions - but NRL jersey change idea shot down

The Canterbury Bulldogs have put a proposal together to try and make it happen, but the Warriors aren't on board.

A leading sports marketing expert has told Yahoo Sport Australia how the likes of Reece Walsh and Nathan Cleary could spark a boom in NRL jersey sales and make millions in brand awareness if a game-changing proposal is approved by league officials. But it might have hit a stumbling block already, with New Zealand Warriors CEO Cameron George opposing the move.

Canterbury Bulldogs CEO Aaron Warburton went public this week with a proposal rallying the NRL to add player names to the back of jerseys. As it stands, it's only State of Origin jerseys that feature the players' names, and the NRL clubs use that space for a prominent sponsor.

Whether or not clubs would forego sponsorship money to use the space for player names remains to be seen, but Warburton is confident it would be beneficial for all parties. A poll of Yahoo Sport Australia readers has shown the overwhelming majority would like to see player names on jerseys, and the Bulldogs are trying to make it happen.

Reece Walsh, Nathan Cleary and Kalyn Ponga.
Reece Walsh, Nathan Cleary and Kalyn Ponga would be the most popular jersey sales. Image: Getty

"We think it will really engage the fans," Warburton said on SEN radio on Monday. "There's a lot of chatter online, particularly with our fan base, around why can't they see a (Matt) Burton and (Viliame) Kikau and (Reed) Mahoney on the back of jerseys with their number?

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"The stats say the fans want it and we are really open to it. It’s important the players’ brand is taken to the next level and kids can aspire to buy and wear the Burton jersey and one day wear the blue and white of their own. Some of the early research suggests that it will actually amplify (exposure for the sponsors) just because of the amount of interest and eyeballs on that space. It could actually be tenfold exposure, but just in a different way. It's about pushing the boundaries."

Matt Burton and Stephen Crichton in action for the Bulldogs, alongside Reece Walsh in a State of Origin game for Queensland.
The Bulldogs (L) want names on the back of jerseys like we see in State of Origin (R). Image: Getty

The extra exposure will also create a boost in brand awareness for the players, and could be worth millions of dollars. Broncos fullback Walsh is already believed to have one of the biggest brands in the history of the NRL, with more social media followers than the Brisbane NRL club itself. That's saying something considering the Broncos are believed to have the most supporters in the NRL.

With the NRL trying to crack the American market, imagine the boost in jersey sales and brand awareness if a Walsh or Cleary performs well in Las Vegas and wins over a whole new legion of fans. Luke Bould, the Director at sports marketing company Alacria, told Yahoo Sport Australia on Tuesday: "What we're seeing in sports in the US is an enormous amount of new value being created by the commercialisation of players' images and likeness, so having anything that adds to that creates more value for the players.

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"If the number 20 is on the back of my jersey I don't own that number, but I clearly own my name. If I am Nathan Cleary or Reece Walsh, what is the commercial proposition? Am I giving it to the club and sharing it as part of the licensing agreement with the NRL, or is there some other arrangement?

"Ultimately a player owns his own name. Adding players' names to jerseys is going to immediately produce a bump in their merchandise because fans want the latest jersey."

Discussing the potential on SEN radio on Tuesday, NRL journalist Michael Carayannis had no hesitation in nominating Walsh as the player who would drive the most jersey sales. And Carayannis also pointed out that what the clubs might lose from sponsors, they'd probably make up in merchandise sales. "It does take away from the top-of-jersey sponsor, and the NRL won't come at it (approve it) unless every team wants to do it," he said.

"The highest-selling jersey in the NRL would be Reece Walsh for mine. A Reece Walsh jersey with the No.1 on the back. He plays for a massive Queensland club that has a different fanbase in terms of a younger demographic and a lot more young girls and women. He has a huge appeal for both men and women and he's a generational talent."

Reece Walsh and Kalyn Ponga.
Reece Walsh (L) and Kalyn Ponga (R) jerseys would be among the most popular. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

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Co-host Matt Russell also mentioned Jarome Luai after his big-money move to the Wests Tigers, while popular choices from callers were Cleary, Kalyn Ponga and Latrell Mitchell. Walsh ($1.1 million per season), Cleary ($1.3m), Ponga ($1.4m) and Luai ($1.2m) are already among the highest earners in the NRL. They're all on long-term contracts worth at least $5 million, but with the extra exposure they could be set to unlock millions more.

But the proposal might be dead in the water already, with Warriors CEO George telling Carayannis and Russell that he'd vote against it. The NRL is unlikely to approve the change unless all 17 clubs are on board.

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"I'd prefer to have my sponsor on there from a commercial aspect," George admitted. "We're not a club-funded club, we're a privately-owned club. The commercial reality for us is very important, and taking the sponsor off the back will have a financial impact.

"The Bulldogs might be in a different situation given they've got a massive Leagues Club behind them. Innovation is great, but I don't want it to be a financial burden for us."

North Queensland GM Michael Luck also pointed to operational issues it would present due to the fact the players don't always wear the same number every week. He said: “Week-to-week, I’m in charge of an apparel budget. If you go from spending $400,000 on kit to having new jerseys every second week for guys, then that jumps up a bit more. But I do understand the appeal of it."