This week, the NRL launched its new ad to kick-off the 2020 season and, as always, nothing in rugby league is without controversy.
For years, rugby league fans have been begging the NRL to bring back the most iconic rugby league theme song of all time – Tina Turner’s ‘Simply the Best’ – and that’s precisely what the NRL has done to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
The ad includes flashbacks to significant moments in the game including the Super League war, the fight by the South Sydney family for the Rabbitohs to be re-instated and momentous grand final wins, including the Cronulla Sharks in 2016. It begins with a young Cameron Smith being inspired by the heroes of old and ends with the next generation being inspired by the likes of Ali Brigginshaw.
In the middle of the ad, Turner’s voice pauses and is replaced by a young Indigenous girl singing with a backdrop of Latrell Mitchell draped in an Aboriginal flag. There is also a flashback to Macklemore’s performance at the grand final and ‘that’ kiss between Karina Brown and Vanessa Foliaki after Women’s State of Origin that broke the internet.
I can appreciate that some people don’t like the ad. Some don’t think that a forward-looking game should be looking backwards and be so focused on iconic moments in the game’s history. Some don’t want to be reminded of the Super League war and some have even commented on a couple of inaccuracies in the ad. For example, Tom Trbojevic was only born in 1996, making it almost impossible for him to be playing rugby league with elder brother Jake the way it is depicted in the ad.
But what I cannot understand is the people complaining about the ad because of that old throwaway line, ‘it’s political correctness gone mad.’
What does that even mean?
It came as no surprise to me that the likes of Ray Hadley, Paul Kent and Dean Ritchie have taken issue with the ad and some fans have followed.
Kent, in particular, focuses on the old ad and how visionary it was from John Quayle to push the game into a new direction. At that point, there was fear about a ‘grandmother’s becoming the face of the game’.
What Kent doesn’t understand is that this ad does show the direction the game is heading in – a direction of inclusion and making very clear, that rugby league is a game that is for everyone.
Unfortunately, the direction is one that Kent doesn’t seem to agree with.
Kent, goes so far as to call the ad ‘angry’. I certainly must have missed the message, because tears welled in my eyes as I watched it.
I find it incredible that the likes of Ritchie and Kent manage to find something negative in almost everything. For two men that have made a living out of the game, you’d think they would have something nice to say every now and again.
But for all their foot-stomping and complaints about the likes of Latrell Mitchell and his ‘protest’, which involved him and some of his other Indigenous teammates quietly making a decision to not sing the national anthem, our game continues to go from strength to strength.
The All-Stars game is a wonderful example. The NRL was accused of politicising the game and some on social media decided they would boycott the game because a decision was made by the Australian Rugby League Commission to not play the national anthem before the game.
Indigenous All Stars captain Joel Thompson. (AAP Image/Darren England)
That worked well.
The All-Stars game had 634,000 in combined ratings this year, up from 552,000 last year.
What the likes of Kent do not understand is that this ad is important because it speaks to those who may not have felt represented or included by the game in the past. This is important because it will help our game to grow.
Growing up as a rugby league fan, I never thought to ask ‘can women play this game?’ The reality is you can’t be what you can’t see and I couldn’t see women playing rugby league. I don’t think Kent had this same problem.
So many of us have the opportunity to see ourselves represented in this new ad and even with a nod to history it still fills me with plenty of excitement about what’s to come.
There is a cry by some to leave the politics out of sport and to ‘just let the boys and girls play’.
But we will never be in that place again. Our players are people with diverse backgrounds, interests and political views. Why shouldn’t they be able to express them? Why shouldn’t they be able to come to rugby league and be who they are?
There is nothing divisive about making everyone feel welcome in our game. What drives opposition to this is fear. And I don’t want our game to be driven by fear.
If you can’t move forward with the game towards a game that is truly a sport for all, I suggest that you go back and watch re-runs of games from when ‘Simply the Best’ was the original theme song. Because our sport is better when everyone is made to feel welcome and there’s no going back now.
But perhaps there’s one thing I can be grateful to Kent for. He’s written at least two articles about this topic and been complaining about it for the last two days. So, before the NRL has paid for a minute of advertising time, the ad has already been viewed millions of times.
I guess it’s true what they say; there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
Carey
Guest
It's Exactly the same ad with a couple minor tweaks. So no the NRL did not pull it hahaha.
boonboon
Roar Pro
I love the ad and perhaps as a long term league follower who is striaght, white and from the bush Paul Kent might think I shouldn't but how could you not. Now I already love NRL so whether I like the ad is neither here nor thier because ads arent to convert those who already love something. What it does do is aim at the mum's who might be wanting thier kids to play, it also aims to win over the amazing young aborigional athletes who would have seen the Adam Goodes issue in AFL and be looking for a different option, it aims at the young people in thier teens and twenties who might be looking for somewhere to spend their hard earned entertainment $$ and for all of those groups its a winner.
GWSingapore
Roar Rookie
Wonder how many NRL Execs have seen S04E09 of Schitt's Creek. 'Simply the Best' takes on another dimensi :laughing:
Zenn
Roar Rookie
Brilliant ad
Ngl Vgana
Roar Rookie
https://www.nrl.com/siteassets/community/nrl---multicultural-fact-sheet-v7.pdf
Danno1
Roar Rookie
Mary, I’d be saying go Zeus you Jets legend!
Big Daddy
Guest
Some things will never change. Despite numerous apologies from politicians of various parties and millions of $ poured into their communities there are still radical groups both indigenous and non indigenous that want to create a divide . What happened over the last 100-200 is unforgiveable. I just don't think a sporting platform is the place by the aggrieved parties and sports administrators to give fuel to a topic which should be solved off the sporting arena. That's what we have politicians for and there a lot of good indeginous and non politicians working to achieve. Ads like this wether they are right or wrong create divides.
JGK
Roar Guru
I saw the ad for the first time today. For the life of me I can't see what the fuss is about. I thought it was pretty good.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Cool - When you find it, look up my profile, find this comment and post a link right here. There are a ton of people I would love to send that link to.
The Barry
Roar Guru
What’s been done? Indigenous people die younger, are more likely to live in poverty, have worse health outcomes, are over represented in prison I bet indigenous people are so grateful for everything you’ve done. It’s so good you’re stomping all over 10 seconds of TV time too
The Barry
Roar Guru
This isn’t just doing things the way we’ve been doing them...why do you think it’s caused controversy? 10 seconds of a footy ad dedicated to an indigenous player and you blokes are losing your minds Can’t you just ignore it and let indigenous people who might enjoy it, just enjoy it or do you have to let everyone know how bad it is and how wrong it is You’re not trying new things at all, you’re clawing desperately to keep things how they’ve always been
The Barry
Roar Guru
“People will reject this every time without exception” The ignorance and the arrogance
Birdy
Roar Rookie
ps. I was against the Vietnam war then and as more facts come out the even more against it now.
Birdy
Roar Rookie
Wow that's almost funny. What I clearly lived through and remember clearly because of the disgust of the event never happened because someone wants to distort history. If it takes me a few weeks I will find film of the event and post it online.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Yep - pretty good example of how your memory can play you false. There’s been a lot written about how this is one of those myths that somehow caught the public imagination. It’s Hollywood history. Everyone has internalised that last scene from the first Rambo movie. Here’s another link. There are many, many others: http://honesthistory.net.au/wp/mythbusting-about-vietnam-highlights-reel/
Birdy
Roar Rookie
Martin PL Sydney 1970. Film and still photos of 1 RAR on parade with several soactators spitting in them. Rather than rely on my memory of the event I googled it only to find all photos and film of the event have been removed . If you can't defend history ,change it. 2 memories I have if the incident were Brian Henderson's (Sydney ch 9 newsreader) disgusted look on his face. Odviously never saw the footage prior. And the crowd chasing the cowards down. I've seen this footage many times in my life.
Greg
Roar Pro
Why do people still not see this? If the Christians say something along the lines of "it is of no concern to me what individuals do but personally I don't support homosexuality because it is against my religious beliefs" and leave it at that without then going on to say they will burn in hell or anything else that could be considered slanderous then yes. Will Hopoate was celebrated by the game for his strong Christian faith. Likewise El Masri for his strong Muslim faith. You can have those beliefs, you can voice those beliefs, you cant take it to the point where it becomes slanderous. Even if any idiot can work out that typically strong Christian beliefs typically means you in fact do think homosexuality is a sin you can be religious without offending people. This is the difference between Walker and Mitchell who ive great respect for and Mundine, who I can respect does great work in Aboriginal communities but tends to run his mouth. They are all proud Aboriginals, they all state why they do not support the anthem it is only Mundine that takes these beliefs to the point where he is slandering present day non-Aboriginal Australians.
Nick
Roar Guru
Sorry, I stopped reading after you admitted you dodged the opportunity to fight because of law that never affected your ability to fight. It must have thrilled you that the fictional people who through pigs' blood on serviceman never threw it on your polished set of shoes in the court house...benefits of dodging a war and betraying the honour of your father and grandfather eh?
In brief
Guest
????- ludicrous how it’s ok to discriminate against a man’s religious beliefs...and for all those of you saying people can’t help the way they were born - I agree - but if your sexuality is an accident of birth, not a choice, what exactly is the point of celebrating it? What’s next, red hair days??
Nick
Roar Guru
OK, finally, you've actually said it was bad. Took you long enough. Re read your posts and see how a few people took it to think otherwise, and then your continued refusal to answer straight up questions did you no favours. There's be no appeasement. It's a screen shot of 2 girls kissing, and a guy wearing a flag for 5 seconds in a 2 minute ad.