Sportswear companies boot out players
MORE than 100 NRL players, including a State of Origin star, will have to buy their own boots this year amid a COVID cutback from sport companies such as Nike.
Leading companies have cut “product in kind” sponsorships by more than 50 per cent, leaving players to pay up to $400 for a pair of boots.
Nike’s top-of-the-range
Phantom GT Elite custom retails for $410, while the Adidas Predator Freak is $400.
The days of the $1000 “show bag”, which was jampacked with footwear and the latest apparel, are over for the run-of-the-mill NRL player.
Only marquee players such as James Tedesco and Jason Taumalolo will get the goods.
A leading player manager said a top company had even denied a State of Origin player in his stable a product-only deal.
“There have been some massive cutbacks, with one company going from 120 NRL players to 40,’’ a player manager said. “That was two-thirds of their NRL roster.
“I know it is a similar situation with the other big companies. A lot of guys have been flicked and we have been scrambling to sort them out.”
Nike refused to comment on the boot snubbing, which is believed to be part of COVID cutbacks and an international supply chain strain.
“That is confidential information that we keep internally,” a Nike employee said.
“We won’t reveal details of our strategy or approach. I am not at liberty to comment.”
The industry-wide cutbacks will hit other major sports. Several players on each AFL club’s 38-man list are to lose deals.
FROM a self-confessed “immature” draftee to a first-team regular, Wil Powell is now firmly entrenched in Gold Coast’s future by signing a fouryear contract extension.
Powell, the 2017 draft bolter, has inked a deal that ties him to the Suns until the end of 2025 after making a name for himself as a brave, skilful halfback.
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the West Australian since he was taken in the first round (No.19) a little over three years ago.
Walking into the club weighing just 67kg, Powell told AFL.com.au it took some time to adjust to life on the other side of the country.
However, in his second year at the club, it was the move of his parents Scott and Sharyn, two sisters and three dogs across the country that made all the difference.
“That settled me so much,” Powell said. “Having family there with me when I got home. It was brand new to me in my first and second year, it was so confusing. I was such a young kid mentally and emotionally as well. That really helped me.
“From there it just got to a point where I didn’t need them anymore, and I wanted my own space because I’d matured. I was having the time of my life here and coming to the club and seeing all my mates.
“Mum and dad have the biggest hearts and they just wanted the best for me. They relocated the whole family just for me. I look back and go ‘wow, that’s pretty special’.”
With Powell settled in his new state and his family back in WA, he had a breakout 2020 season, playing 15 games and becoming an integral part of a tight back six.
Since joining the club, Powell has added size to his frame (he’s now 80kg) and strength to his core, while also maturing off the field.