CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
In just 4 short years, the role of Prime Minister has travelled from Manly Beach, to Bondi Beach, to Cronulla Beach – and with it three rugby league clubs have been unwillingly politicised for the cameras.
Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison have all attempted to engage with their local NRL clubs in an effort to win over the common man. Some more enthusiastically than others.
Abbott, who openly despised rugby league due to its working class roots, would still have to occasionally don a Manly jumper while giving a press conference for his annual announcement that Brookvale oval was going to get a make-over that never happened.
After him, Turnbull was also unable to spare himself the excruciation of having post-match drink with men that have names like Dylan and Jared. But still, he would often don Roosters scarf of a frosty Thursday evening.
However, as far as politicians go, no one is as convincing as Prime Minister Morrison, every winter Sunday down at Shark Park.
That is, except for the new opposition leader Anthony Albanese. Arguably the first ever Prime Minister to ever give off the image that he was emotionally invested in the success of an NRL club.
But not just any club. Albo supports the Collingwood of rugby league. The Rabbitohs.
Now with ScoMo successfully leveraging the Sharkies for his pristine branding as the ultimate bloke minister, the nation patiently awaits Albo’s hyper-competitive attempts to out-rugby-league the current PM.
With three years until the next Federal Election, the Australian people, 15 million of whom are not overly interested in the macho soap opera that is the NRL – excitedly await countless press shots from the sidelines.
The fact that the next federal election will be between two husky suburban Sydney dads named Albo and ScoMo isn’t enough – the nation now must endure the countless NRL themed scarfs, hats, jerseys and schooners that are expected to make their way onto camera from now until 2022.
“How good” said one Betoota-based Sharkies fan, Wyatt ‘Riot’ Beach at the Lord Kidman Hotel this afternoon.
“That good” says his close mate and devout Bunnies fan, Red Fernoval.
“Haha this election will be basically a Sharkies Rabbitohs gee eff”
