Martin Bella slams Steve ‘Jacko’ Jackson’s political campaign ad featuring NRL greats

A campaign ad featuring Mel Meninga, Sam Thaiday, Wally Lewis, and Ivan Cleary has been called disgusting and disgraceful by an ex-NRL star, saying they’re treating locals “like idiots”. See it yourself.

Origin great Martin ‘Munsta’ Bella has slammed Wally Lewis, Mal Meninga, Sam Thaiday and other rugby legends for their part in a “disgusting and disgraceful” political campaign.

It comes after Steve Jackson, also an Origin great, recruited his famous footy mates to feature in a reel-style video in which they tell voters to back ‘Jacko’ as the next mayor of Mackay Regional Council.

The recruits include Kevin ‘Campo’ Campion, Brett White, Thaiday, Ben Hannant, Trevor ‘The Axe’ Gillmeister, Adrian Lamb, Mick Hagan, Billy Moore, Meninga, and Lewis and Ivan Cleary – both of whom made special trips to Mackay to guest star at Jacko’s fundraiser events.

Several NRL greats have starred in a promotional video for Steve Jackson's election campaign to become mayor of Mackay Regional Council. Picture: Facebook

Bella, who is running for his third term as councillor, said the NRL greats’ endorsements were disgraceful, cheap, and “worse than tacky” and he did not care if speaking out meant his name was never spoken again in the Garden of Rugby League.

“I am ropeable at the moment, if I had the number of those blokes I’d be ringing them one after the other,” Bella said.

“It’s patronising and it treats the people of Mackay like idiots.

“There’s not one of them that has a clue about Mackay, about our economy or about our social situation.

“This is about bloody 130,000 people and they need to go and butt out.”

Martin Bella (left) who is running for his third term as councillor at Mackay Regional Council has slammed Steve Jackson (second from left) for recruiting his famous NRL mates including Wally Lewis and Mal Meninga to star in his election campaign.

In the video, Gillmeister tells viewers “it’s time to axe the Mackay council and vote one Jacko” with White saying Jacko’s got support from NSW.

Hannant says Mackay voters need to stand up and deliver like Jackson “always delivered on the field” while Thaiday warns: “Vote one for Jacko otherwise Sammy Thaiday will come give you a whacko”.

Bella, who himself played in 21 State of Origin matches, said rugby gave him less than one per cent of the experience he needed during his eight years in council, describing the difference between a footballer and a politician as chalk and cheese.

Steve 'Jacko' Jackson at the official launch of his Mackay First campaign for Mackay Regional Council at West Leagues Club on Thursday, February 8, 2024. Picture: Heidi Petith

Jacko has made no qualms about heavily leaning on his NRL glory days throughout his election campaign, and told this publication the skills he learnt on the field — like leadership, mateship, and teamwork — would help him “steer the Mackay region to a bright future as well”.

Rugby anecdotes pervade his speeches and the bulk of his $80,000 plus in election funds came from tickets sold to events starring The King or Cleary that included auctions littered with sporting memorabilia.

“I don’t shy away from my rugby league career as that is what has made me,” he told this publication.

Bella called on Jacko to stop relying on his time in the spotlight and instead prove to voters he had the merits to lead a region as mayor.

“It’s got nothing to do with being a good bloke or what happened 20 or 30 years ago,” he said.

“It’s got everything to do with basic financial literacy in a council sense.

“This (election) affects people’s lives.”
The NRL was contacted for comment, but did not respond prior to publication.