The greatest TV ads featuring rugby league players

Watching Peter Sterling in the latest DoorDash TV ad with a bean sprout stuck halfway out his mouth made me appreciate the significant contribution that rugby league players have made to the television landscape of Australia.

Of course, you have the decades of Gold Logie winning Footy Show. But for me, there is something wonderfully captivating about watching a boofy footballer, or better still, several of them trying to promote a product as part of a TV commercial.

The attraction is watching someone you know has great skill in one area (rugby league) completely out of their comfort zone as they read lines and attempt to pass themselves off as actors.

There have been some great rugby league TV ads through the decades. The ongoing campaign that is Lowes ads has become a franchise in its own right. Others have disappeared as quickly as they appeared. Does anyone else remember Wally Lewis’ hair in a can commercial?

An aerosol that you sprayed on your balding pate to thicken up the remaining follicles so your man mane appeared full and luxurious. If anyone can find a link to this ad please post it in the comments section.

Here are my top three rugby league ads.

XXXX

A relatively recent ad, which seeks to cash in on the nostalgia of one of the most iconic moments in State of Origin history.

It was game 1 of the 1995 series in which the channel 9 cameras and microphones perfectly captured Billy Moore screaming ‘Queenslander’ to motivate his maroon teammates as they made their way out of the tunnel. It still raises the hairs on the back of the neck, so to see it used to good effect to promote XXXX beer is cleverly done.

In the ad Billy can be seen screaming ‘Queenslander’ at every part of the XXXX brewery. He yells at the brew kettles, he yells at the beakers of test beer and the ad finished with Billy trying to give every stubby of XXXX his special blessing as they come off the conveyor belt at breakneck speed.

SUNSILK

Footy players promoting beer is not a big stretch but asking them to flog something less masculine such as hair products is always amusing.

This ad makes the podium because of the sheer number of top first graders who appear in it. It is a veritable early 2000’s who’s who from the eastern suburbs club, Anthony Minichiello, Craig Wing, Luke Ricketson, Jason Cayless, Adrian Morley and Mick Crocker are all there.

The ad is set in the dressing room and the premise of the ad is the other players giving Luke Ricketson a hard time for being a pretty boy and using Sunsilk shampoo.

The ad finishes with all the players lockers falling open revealing that they also use Sunsilk shampoo. Entertainment at its finest.

Tip Top Bread

There is something innocent and endearing about Allan Langer. Probably a product of his diminutive stature and the blond locks that used to adorn his head.

Back in the early 90’s there were no ‘bigger’ star in rugby league than Allan ‘Alfie’ Langer. In 1994 he did an ad for Tip Top bread.

What makes the ad so unique is that the lady who plays his mum in the ad was actually his Mum! Apparently, the AFL did the same thing with Jason Dunstall and his mum.

In the ad Alfie is seated in his Australian jersey at dining table having a quick lunchtime sandwich. He is complaining that his mum makes him eat healthy things so he can grow up big and strong. When Alfie finishes his sandwich, his mum lets him go out and play.

The footage is then cut to a test match in which Alfie is carving it up in England somewhere. Very cute and I’m sure a lot of budding footballers asked their mums to buy Tip Top after seeing the ad.

Of course, no article about TV ads featuring rugby league players is complete without paying homage to Tina Turner and the NSWRL of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

These ads were brilliant and remain the standard against which all sporting advertising is measured against in Australia.

I’ve decided they are not eligible because they are promoting rugby league but do yourself a favour and check them out on YouTube. I guarantee you will watch them to the end with a smile on your face.