The A to Z of the NRL continues, and with the return of actual rugby league not far away it is time to dust off the supporters gear; so today’s edition is brought to you by the letter J for Best Rugby League Jersey.
One thing the NRL does a lot of is flog jerseys, and they aren’t cheap either. Some teams can have up to five different NRL jerseys a season, so we have a big pool to choose from.
But some of them are memorable and we have made our list of the best NSWRL/ARL/NRL jerseys.
To be fair we have included one jersey from each club.
Finally, we ask the question who has rugby league’s best jersey? Read our list below and make your vote count in the ultimate Best Jersey poll below.
Best NRL Jerseys for Each Club
BRISBANE BRONCOS
A controversial choice 1st up, and it was a tough choice between this and the two Power’s Bitter sponsored jerseys.
This was the Broncos night jersey, which made them pioneers of the alternative kit, famed in European football.
Whilst there’s a hint of harlequin about it, we admire it all the same.
It’s actually Darren Lockyer’s favourite Broncos kit, so who are we to argue?
CANBERRA RAIDERS
Our next best NRL jersey is another alternative strip from the early-to-mid-1990s, this time selected by Gurgler contributor and massive Raiders fan Andrew Pelechaty.
We like his selection too, but that must be a hard bunch to choose from, except for the universally dreadful Super League designs.
Like all good away strips, it’s a simple reversal of the home design, with the ACT blue and gold hoops, and green hoops instead of white, on the arms and the chest. The design was so popular it was revised in the mid-2000s. It’s by far Canberra’s best away jersey.
CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
The Bulldogs tend to play relatively simple rugby league, so their best NRL jersey selection should be a simple design that works.
And this one works for us.
Nothing like butcher’s stripes in a jersey of any sort, and although it does look a little posh secondary school rugby union First XV, we are still a fan.
CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
The Sharks have had many a design over the years; not as many jerseys as different names for their home ground but close.
For our selection it was tough to decide between them. There’s a few complex design, but we’ve gone simple again.
A dangerously good looking Andrew “ET” Ettingshausen was enough to seal the deal for the Sharks’ best jersey representative.
GOLD COAST TITANS
It is hard to get teal and golden yellow just right, so we went with a jersey that had as little on it as possible.
A variation on the stripes seen above, with plenty going on.
And it’s a modern jersey too.
This looks like a genuine quality alternative jersey like some of the very nest from European football.
MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Manly were/are hard to like, but this classic jersey is our pick of the Sea Eagles best.
It won a lot of games too, and the distinctive Pepsi logo seems to make the jersey rather than ruin it for some reason.
Not even the sight of Terry Hill above manages to turn you off it.
MELBOURNE STORM
Not many teams can make purple work in a sporting kit, but the Storm do it so well.
They’ve had a few good ones over the years, worn by some of the game’s biggest names in recent times.
But our choice is from the era before, and specifically the jersey worn in the 1999 NRL Grand Final win over the St George-Illawarra Dragons.
It features a collar, which is always a great throwback to the olden days, but also includes the player’s names on the back, something only repeated in State of Origin games.
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Back to the original, and one where we were swayed by a sponsor.
Many will remember the distinctive Henny Penny logo on the front of the Newcastle jersey, and fondly recall the look of it in general.
The Knights have attempted to recreate this design in recent years, and while it was valiant attempt, nothing beats a Henny Penny original.
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Another original one here, from the Cowboys’ first season in the old ARL competition. They may have been wooden spoon fodder back then, but at least they did it in style in our favourite Cowboys kit, with the big XXXX logo in the middle.
It’s hard to remember that Welsh rugby star Jonathan Davies donned this kit as well.
They’re another club that has tried to recreate this look recently; again, the modern version is good, but you can’t beat an original.
PARRAMATTA EELS
A golden era brings a golden rugby league jersey in our opinion.
Although, it may be swayed by the legends playing for the Eels at the time.
A few of which are pictured above.
Who needs high scoring grand finals when a jersey as fine as this is on display.
PENRITH PANTHERS
We were really torn here, as any jersey that parades the colour brown as well as Penrith’s late 1980s gear did was worth a shout.
But we are a sucker for the 1991 Penrith jersey, and it’s fitting that such a memorable jersey coincided with them winning the 1991 NSWRL Grand Final.
Subsequent tribute designs have been OK, but nothing matches the original.
ST GEORGE-ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
How can we split the joint venture?
We can’t and didn’t. So have a selection from both.
And here it is all about simplicity.
The Big Red V is an iconic sporting jersey in Australia, and the Penfolds sponsor is one we grew up with and loved.
For the Illawarra Steelers, we chose a simple design, and who else could be the main sponsor for a team called the Steelers?
We miss that classic Steelers logo too.
SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
South Sydney’s jersey has rarely changed over the years, except for the Minties wrapper edition of the 1980s, so which one do you choose?
As nice as the current one is (the best new one in years, and the first new jersey that a certain Souths supporter has bought since their readmission), we have gone for a classic: the Smith’s Crisps-sponsored version.
SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Unlike the previous few teams where we have gone original, this time for the Roosters it’s hard to go past one of the current designs.
And why wouldn’t you given the level of recent success. Six tackles or not.
WESTS TIGERS
Another joint merger club, and another question, which jersey to take but not offend anyone either?
Being a spineless fence sitter, we allowed Gurgler contributor Frankington Stanley, a Wests Tigers fan, to decide.
His choice is a fine blend of both clubs, with the most neutral of greys to emphasise the point.
It still looks pretty smart though.
As for Balmain, you can’t go past the classic orange base with black chevrons, while Western Suburbs kept it simple with the back base with white chevrons.
NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
What do you pick for a favourite Auckland/New Zealand Warriors jersey when there have been on average 4.3 different ones every year?
Easy, you go with the 1995 original.
Of course this is when the side was from Auckland (they were rebranded the “New Zealand” Warriors from 2001), so there wasn’t as much black and white.
And there’s nothing like an obscure beer on the front of a jersey. Refer to Power’s Bitter.
THE A TO Z OF RUGBY LEAGUE SO FAR
D is Defunct Clubs and Disused Grounds
E is for English Rugby League Players in Australia
F is for Best Rugby League Facial Hair
H is for Best Rugby League Hair
J if for Best Rugby League Jerseys
[…] covered the best jerseys in our A to Z series, so we won’t double up […]