By Danielle Smith
Some clubs have kept the same jersey going into the new season, while others have played with new designs. How will your team look running out this year?
Brisbane Broncos
There may be some new faces when it comes to the Broncos squad this season, but not when it comes to their jerseys. The club have kept the nice clean styles as last year, mostly maroon for the home jersey and mostly white for the away jersey. The only change to the design is a new KIA logo across the front.
Verdict - Same same. Both home and away jerseys are nice and simple.
Canberra Raiders
Another team who hasn't made any actual changes to the jersey design, however a new sponsor takes priority spot. The well-known Canberra Milk have become sleeve sponsors, with Toyota Forklifts taking up prime real estate at the front. They have three jerseys - home, away and heritage. Why teams have three jerseys I don't know, but for the record the heritage is my favourite, completely green.
Verdict - Their home and away jerseys look nice, but nothing beats their heritage jersey. It's all green - and aren't they known as the Green Machine?
Canterbury Bulldogs
I was so worried watching the trials that they were going to be playing the rest of the season in those horrible grey jerseys that they came out in. Thankfully not. They have kept the same blue and white style from last season, with the away jersey the reverse of the home jersey.
Verdict - Great looking jersey. Let's just see if who is wearing them this year makes a difference to the scoreboard.
Cronulla Sharks
Another with changes to the squad but not the uniform. Last year's home and away jerseys remain untouched. The classic blue jersey with a bit of black and white, and just like the Bulldogs, the Sharks away jersey is the opposite design. Aramex is still the major sponsor, and somehow the big red logo across the front works. They've also released a special edition heritage jersey - wow, just wow!
Verdict - Really nice-looking jersey.
Gold Coast Titans
Hmmm, I don't know about this one. Big purple and white logo across the front from new major sponsor 'MyPayNow', but I don't know how it goes with the aqua, and I've never been a fan of the bold yellow stripe across the top. Like many, I do love their predominantly white away jersey.
Verdict - Yes for away, no for home.
Manly Sea Eagles
Dammit Manly! Not only have you managed to become more likeable over the past few years, but you also have the best jersey in the comp! Really simple, classy maroon and white design, reverse for the away strip, with a major sponsor that reflects the colours.
Verdict - I love the jerseys, and I hate myself for saying it.
Melbourne Storm
Both jerseys have remained the same. The predominantly dark purple base with the yellow V below the neck for the home, and the predominantly white base with the purple V below the neck for the away. RedZed still the sponsor across the front.
Verdict - Both nice simple jerseys, not much else to report.
Newcastle Knights
Oh dear. The Knights obviously didn't get the same memo as Manly for blending the major sponsor logo into the jersey. Have they never heard the fashion tip "Together blue and green should never been seen?" The red and blue style is still good, the away jersey with a lot of white on it is ok. But the huge green NIB logo at the front is an eyesore. And we know that orange miners' jersey will pop up during the year too.
Verdict - Breaks my heart, but Newcastle is at the bottom of the list.
North Queensland Cowboys
The team have enough to do on the field, thankfully they have left their nice-looking jerseys alone. The dark blue home jersey with the yellow and grey stripes, and then the away jersey in the same style but with white on the bottom half.
Verdict - Remained the same. Good call.
Parramatta Eels
This jersey looks a bit old school, and it works. Like Canberra, the Eels have gone with three jerseys, a home, an away and a heritage. All three jerseys are the same style, with the blue, white and yellow the dominate colours respectfully.
Verdict - All three look really nice, but again, why do teams need three jerseys?
Penrith Panthers
Oh Penrith, did you not hear what I just said? Another one with three. The home and away have remained the same, with the home mostly black and the away mostly pink. Both having the OAK Plus logo across the front. The alternate has the same top half as the home jersey, with the bottom half full of black and white horizontal stripes.
Verdict - all quite nice and simple, but another club with supporters that have to save up more pocket money!
South Sydney Rabbitohs
Red and green stripes are hard to make look "smart". The bunnies have kept the same jersey as last year, with both their home and away jerseys extremely similar. The home jersey has black around the collar and arms with a black and white MG logo, and their away jersey has white around the collar and arms with a red and white MG logo.
Verdict - Meh, they are a bit busy. Not the best and not the worst.
St George Illawarra Dragons
I have always liked the crisp white background with the big Red V on the front of the home jersey for the Dragons. Obviously trying to reverse the colours for the away jersey would mean a big White V which doesn't make sense, so they have gone with red on red, and the impact falls short.
Verdict - Home jersey good, away jersey not so good.
Sydney Roosters
The chooks have stuck with their classic styles as last season for both. The home jersey is mostly dark blue, red and white V across the chest, major sponsor Stegall's simple logo below that. Same with the away jersey, although that is mostly white.
Verdict - Traditional, simple, works well.
Wests Tigers
The Tigers have also kept their last season's jerseys, and that was a smart decision. Mostly black with a bit of orange and white across the top, the new Tigers' logo has been added to the right corner and as always, a magpie on each shoulder. The away jersey is the same style, however mostly orange from halfway down.
Verdict - These are nice looking jerseys. Fans will be happy they kept them the same as last season but will be will be hoping for better results this season while wearing them.
Warriors
A few design changes for the Warriors makes their 2022 jersey look much smarter. The jersey is still dark blue but gone are the curved red and green arches across the top, replaced with strong red and green chevrons. The Vodafone logo remains across the front, but jersey maker Canterbury have been replaced with Puma, so their logo now sits on the shoulders. The away jersey is the same style, with white instead of dark blue from the chevrons down.
Verdict - Really nice jerseys. I hope they get to run out in front of a real home crowd back in New Zealand wearing them this season.