One of the joys of the off-season is discovering your team’s new kits. So it’s time to look at the best and worst of 2020. It’ll be home jerseys (mostly).
Seasons: 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019
BRISBANE
The Broncos have stuck to their 2019 design, with a new major sponsor (KIA Motors).
VERDICT: New sponsor, same jersey.
CANBERRA
Canberra have kept their popular 1989 heritage design. For Raiders fans, it holds treasured memories of getting so close to their fourth premiership. The big change is an updated logo, with the viking beard a different shade of green, and RAIDERS in white instead of lime green. The back of the collar has the ’90’ logo celebrating Canberra’s 1990 premiership. It’s enough of a tweak to entice Raiders fans.
VERDICT: Sticking with the classic look, with small adjustments to celebrate another premiership anniversary.
CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN
At the moment, Canterbury’s sponsorless jersey looks bare (major sponsor KIA has been downgraded), with the classic blue sleeves and slightly shorter chevrons surrounded by a lot of white. Hopefully they pick up a new sponsor and can build on their promising finish to 2019.
VERDICT: Similar design, but it looks barer at the moment.
CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND
Thankfully, Cronulla have returned to their classic design, dumping the strange ‘V’ angle on the hoops. Grateful Sharks fans will snap this up. The less said about their awful Nines jersey, the better.
VERDICT: Back to the classic look.
GOLD COAST
The Titans’ messy home jersey returns, with a dark blue base, and ‘artistic’ light blue and yellow chevrons. Their blue-and-white-hoops heritage design is still their best ever jersey.
VERDICT: A struggling team with a messy jersey. The poor Titans can’t take a trick.
MANLY-WARRINGAH
Manly have dumped the eighties horizontal stripes for two thick white chevrons on the chest and a strange half maroon/half white striped collar. Will Manly fans embrace this, with chevrons arguably the most overused jersey design? We’ll see. Their away strip, based on their mid-nineties jersey (which they wore in the 1996 and 1997 grand finals, with a white version in the 1995 decider) should be more popular.
VERDICT: Dumping the classic stripes for a more generic look. The away strip is better.
MELBOURNE
A strange mix of cascading navy and purple arrows, with purple shoulders and chest. It looks more like a training jersey or a media polo.
VERDICT: Last season’s anniversary jersey was much better than this generic mess.
NEWCASTLE
While they’ve changed their logo (switching the Knight around and dumping ‘Newcastle’ from the name), they’ve stuck with the popular late eighties-early nineties ‘Henny Penny’ design. A proven winner.
VERDICT: The ‘Penny’ returns.
NORTH QUEENSLAND
Celebrating their 25th anniversary, North Queensland – like the Warriors last season – have returned to their 1995 heritage strip, with a new logo as well. Cowboys fans will snap this up.
VERDICT: Fantastic return to 1995.
PARRAMATTA
Like North Queensland, Parramatta have embraced the retro, with their 1986 premiership strip now their home jersey, and their major sponsor Aland in simple black and white.
VERDICT: Back to the eighties, and it looks great.
PENRITH
No major changes for Penrith, except for a new jersey manufacturer in O’Neills (who also made Newcastle’s jerseys).
VERDICT: No change.
ST. GEORGE-ILLAWARRA
Like the Sydney Roosters’ traditional tri-colours, the Dragons’ Red V design is classic and fans would probably riot if it the home strip was changed. It’d be nice to see more love for the Illawarra Steelers on the jersey though.
VERDICT: No change.
SOUTH SYDNEY
Souths keep the same design (including the red shoulders), though Aqualand’s logo is a bit bigger.
VERDICT: No major changes.
SYDNEY ROOSTERS
The defending premiers’ home jersey has endured for over a century, so no point changing it.
VERDICT: No change.
NZ WARRIORS
While the Warriors had received a lot of press for their hideous Humphrey B. Bear-esque yellow and black “Bushshirt” jersey, their home jersey continues with the 1995 Auckland Warriors blue, green, red and white design. It’s a fantastic jersey, so it makes sense to keep it.
VERDICT: The ’95 heritage jersey is back, but everyone’s talking about the ‘Bushshirt’ mess.
WESTS TIGERS
The Tigers have kept the same yellow and white chevron design, but have reverted to their normal logo. It’s one of the better Tigers jerseys, so it makes sense to keep it.
VERDICT: Same design, different logo.
