A jersey reveal is rarely anything to get excited about.
There may be a variation on where a given stripe is to be positioned, maybe a new colour added to the away strip or perhaps a Lazarus act on a jersey from yesteryear.
But these events tend to be a variation on a familiar theme – which is what I was inclined to write the Newcastle Knights’ 2020 jersey reveal off as.
Because, as far as the actual home shirt goes, it’s exactly the same as the 2019 version.
Seriously, have a gander.
Notice any difference at all in that shirt compared to the one Mitchell Pearce kissed on that sweet, sweet night in May 2019?
Well, no – but that’s actually the point.
“The home jumper has not changed from last year,” a Knights release read.
“We listened to your feedback and you loved the throwback to yesteryear, modelled on the club’s heritage jumper.”
Now I’ve been pretty vocal on the subject of NRL jerseys over the years.
My primary concern is pretty simple: they cost way too much.
The going rate for years now has been $160 for a jersey that may be a replica of the space-age kit the blokes on the pitch – elite athletes slamming into one another at terrifying pace and with inhuman force – are wearing but that someone in the stands just does not need to be that futuristic.
What’s more, that’s a lot of money to spend on a shirt that is out of style less than 12 months later when the club updates it.
Well, I’ve got to hand it to the Knights. They’ve absolutely nailed it on this one.
By having the same jersey two years in a row, they’re actually giving the fans a win, rather than making a quick buck.
And it is a quick buck – a short-term way to make money that undermines longer-term possibilities.
Because a stadium full of people wearing relevant home jerseys is a way better sell to a potential sponsor than that same stadium with most of the fans wearing a jersey repping businesses that paid to be on the shirt in the ‘90s.
(Tony Feder/Getty Images)
But the real win for fans? The price point of $129.95.
It’s not quite the $99.95 price tag I’ve been pitching for years – although it was that amount for a 12-hour Black Friday sale in late November – but a permanent $30 markdown is noteworthy.
Newcastle aren’t the only club who have decided to take $30 off last year’s asking price either, with the Panthers also setting their 2020 jerseys at $129.95.
What’s more, it appears the lower price is working well, with the both clubs having sold out on a number of sizes.
Ultimately though, after moaning about expensive jerseys for years, I really do need to pay credit where it’s due. So well done to the Knights and Panthers – great show of respect for your fans.
Here’s hoping these two clubs lead the way in jersey sales for 2020 and provide some hard data for the rest of the league that a $160 jersey is not only too expensive for the average punter, it results in fewer sales and, thus, ultimately less cash in the coffers.
Joe Frost
Editor
https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/909991-futurama
Billy
Guest
It is different to the one mitchell pearce kiss because it was the indigenous jersey he kiss
Joel
Guest
There are actually quite a few differences between the 2019 and 2020 Knights jerseys. There's more blue on the sleeve this year, and the collar is blue, instead of red. Also, the entire club logo faces the other way, which is probably the biggest change. The jerseys are incredibly similar, but to say that the jerseys are identical is incorrect.
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
More like 'Wheels of Confusion' or 'Falling off the edge of the World.' I'm not really a Newcastle fan.
E-Meter
Roar Rookie
Being a Newcastle supporter, I thought you would prefer "Fairies Wear Boots".
Hard Yards
Roar Rookie
I’m a Wormald man myself. Geez I used to love to watch Phil Lowe create havoc in that Pioneer jumper tho.
elvis
Roar Rookie
Brand dilution. Who is going to pay $150 for something when the bloke beside you keeps saying he got it for $30. Expensive items are about status as well as anything else.
elvis
Roar Rookie
So? What if it costs them 50 bucks to sell it to me for 30? I had always thought you were some kind of accountant :-)
Adam
Roar Guru
Or it actually costs to dump them. It's probably cheaper in the long run to sell all the extra stock knowing their brand name still gets out there
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
But if they dump them they get $0.
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
Jerseys are too dear, but you can get them cheaper if you dont have to have the current year. I bought a Manly jersey on ebay from an AU store for $45. If was from 2 yrs ago. Didnt worry me, they are still the same team.
Noosa Duck
Roar Rookie
What the news about both Parramatta and Newcastle actually tells us is that a very important factor is returning to the clubs and that is stability. Retaining their sponsors has a more far reaching impact than just outer appearances. Once upon a time in League & VFL/ AFL footy you had a club jumper and the home team wore black shorts & the visiting team white shorts The mighty corporate dollar and sponsorship came along and we now have all these logo's plastered all over the footy jumpers. Tell me do really take any notice and does it entice us to buy these products ? I still have no idea what 1300 Smiles is all about but my imagination ran wild for a bit I can tell you. Get a bit of bad publicity and the sponsor pulls out of the deal midstream anyway.
Madrid john
Guest
Funny, a lot of my jerseys of yore have shrunk in just the same way!!! Lots of room around the shoulder, none at all around the belly ????
Birdy
Roar Rookie
Why are most away jerseys white? I love my old Balmain jersey with Phillips on it. Don't wear it to games as I now live in qld. Probably too old as well.
Succhi
Roar Rookie
This is one of my pet hates. Why can teams have one jersey? The only reason (initially) to have an away jumper was if the original looked similar to the home team. I know it’s a money earner for clubs, but fair dinkum, I’ve seen jerseys and had no idea what team it was!
Clanger McClunk
Guest
Club jerseys are far too expensive especially for families that follow teams. Even the reduced prices offered by Newcastle and Penrith seem high. My old Saints jersey bought from Chapman's Sports Store in 1968 serves me well. Can't remember how much it cost but knowing my budget in those days I would say it was quite cheap. A few decades ago I modernised it by cutting the long sleeves to a more shortened form. It has apparently changed shape with age as it is somewhat tighter around the gut region than it was in my teens.
elvis
Roar Rookie
Is was a Canterbury seconds and old stock sale in Brisbane, they hold or perhaps held them every 6 months or so in a big warehouse on the southside over a weekend.
Paul
Roar Guru
out of curiosity Elvis, where was that sale?
elvis
Roar Rookie
Considering I bought a 2 Qld jerseys and a Kangaroos jersey at a seconds and leftovers sale, all for 30 bucks each from a big supplier, probably not that much. I assume they are still making money at that price, otherwise they would just dump them. Couldn't give away a Waratahs jersey, there must have been thousands of them.
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
The only difference in the Dragons 2020 jersey is their sleeve sponsor is different. A tough sell if you already have the 2019 jersey.