David Riccio
The Sunday Telegraph
February 19, 201212:00AM
THE NRL is confident that having Manly's Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran to launch the 2012 season won't come back to bite the code.
The selection of the Sea Eagles duo to front the season launch is the first sign that David Gallop's sometimes strained relationship with Manly is on the mend.
Cherry-Evans and Foran, two of the most promising players in the game, will officially launch the season on Wednesday night at Rugby League Central in Sydney.
The NRL was left with an embarrassing black eye last year when their "face of the game", Wests Tigers five-eighth Benji Marshall, became embroiled in a late-night incident just 72 hours after declaring the season "open".
That came just two seasons after Manly's Brett Stewart was edited out of television commercial when he was banned after an alcohol-fuelled evening and charged with sexual assault in 2009. He was cleared of all charges.
Gallop and NRL marketing director Paul Kind said there was no cause for concern by continuing to use players to promote the game.
"We are never going to shy away from the fact our players are the stars of the show and that they deserve their place on the stage," Gallop said.
"It's a recognition, too, of Manly's fantastic achievement in winning the competition."
Kind added: "The logical people, or person, to launch a season is our players. They are the reason why the premiership is so successful.
"I understand in the past it has had its complications, but we're looking forward not backwards.
"I don't have any reservation in asking a player to launch the season.
"You look at both players (Cherry-Evans and Foran) and the way they handled their success at Manly last year and into their representative call-ups ... they are two mature guys, who, according to the club, are honoured to be a part of it."
The NRL will also stick with Bon Jovi's popular "our house" advertising campaign for 2012.
However, the decision to choose Cherry-Evans and Foran is an indication that the promotional campaign will focus heavily on the game's next generation of stars.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-selects-manlys-daly-cherry-evans-and-kieran-foran-to-launch-2012-season/story-e6frexnr-122627461558
The Sunday Telegraph
February 19, 201212:00AM
THE NRL is confident that having Manly's Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran to launch the 2012 season won't come back to bite the code.
The selection of the Sea Eagles duo to front the season launch is the first sign that David Gallop's sometimes strained relationship with Manly is on the mend.
Cherry-Evans and Foran, two of the most promising players in the game, will officially launch the season on Wednesday night at Rugby League Central in Sydney.
The NRL was left with an embarrassing black eye last year when their "face of the game", Wests Tigers five-eighth Benji Marshall, became embroiled in a late-night incident just 72 hours after declaring the season "open".
That came just two seasons after Manly's Brett Stewart was edited out of television commercial when he was banned after an alcohol-fuelled evening and charged with sexual assault in 2009. He was cleared of all charges.
Gallop and NRL marketing director Paul Kind said there was no cause for concern by continuing to use players to promote the game.
"We are never going to shy away from the fact our players are the stars of the show and that they deserve their place on the stage," Gallop said.
"It's a recognition, too, of Manly's fantastic achievement in winning the competition."
Kind added: "The logical people, or person, to launch a season is our players. They are the reason why the premiership is so successful.
"I understand in the past it has had its complications, but we're looking forward not backwards.
"I don't have any reservation in asking a player to launch the season.
"You look at both players (Cherry-Evans and Foran) and the way they handled their success at Manly last year and into their representative call-ups ... they are two mature guys, who, according to the club, are honoured to be a part of it."
The NRL will also stick with Bon Jovi's popular "our house" advertising campaign for 2012.
However, the decision to choose Cherry-Evans and Foran is an indication that the promotional campaign will focus heavily on the game's next generation of stars.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-selects-manlys-daly-cherry-evans-and-kieran-foran-to-launch-2012-season/story-e6frexnr-122627461558
