NRL 2023: How Tina Turner’s rugby league ad was almost pulled by ‘boys club’

The most famous ad in Australian sporting history was almost canned before it went to air, after an 11th-hour attempt from rugby league’s boys’ club demanded it be pulled.

The most famous ad in Australian sporting history was almost canned before it ever went to air.

In 1989, Tina Turner’s now-famous rugby league television anthem What You Get Is What You See, followed by the iconic Simply The Best, created a sporting juggernaut.

But it had to survive an 11th-hour attempt from rugby league’s boys’ club which, just 72 hours before it was to be released, demanded it be scrapped and expressed outrage that a “black American grandmother” would become the face of the game.

As the world on Thursday mourned the death of global singing superstar Turner at her home in Switzerland, aged 83, former NSWRL general manager John Quayle has revealed, for the first time, how rugby league powerbrokers almost sabotaged the campaign.

“It was touch and go,” said Quayle, who had to beg then ARL chairman Ken Arthurson for permission to proceed.

“She was a black, American grandmother being used to promote the game of league. A lot of people got nervous with those words and a lot of people – a number of my board and certain club CEOs — wanted to cancel it.”

Tina Turner helped create “the greatest sporting advertising campaign in Australian sport”.

Quayle and advertising guru Jim Walpole had secretly approved, commissioned and filmed rugby league’s newest campaign — a commercial featuring Turner’s hugely-successful song, What You Get Is What You See.

On a Sunday night in early 1989, at a film studio in Willoughby, the ad was completed and set to be launched on the Wednesday at the old Sydney Football Stadium.

But the advertisement leaked out and opposition to it quickly formed.

Outspoken commentator Rex Mossop protested heavily to Arthurson and, as pressure mounted, the ARL boss told Quayle the campaign may need to be scrapped.

“I had kept it secret and under wraps but it leaked out on that Monday morning,” Quayle said.

“Ken rang me and said: ‘Mate, it’s out and we can’t run with this. Rex Mossop has just rung me and said: ‘Arko, tell me it’s not f … ing true? A black, American – you’re f … ing kidding. That’s it for me – it’s all over’.

“I said to Ken: ‘You’ve got to back me on this – we’re three days out from the launch. There are board members and some bloody clubs that want to cancel what I can tell you now it will be the biggest thing in our sport for commercials – you want to cancel it with three days to go? Ken, trust me’.”

Quayle and Arthurson stood their ground and history was made.

The marriage between Turner and rugby league became legendary.

Female viewership of rugby league games increased by between 60 to 70 per cent after the ad was aired.

Tina Turner with players during filming of the 'Simply the Best' advertising campaign.

“When (advertising company) Hertz Walpole came up with What You Get is What You See, it was going to be a one-year deal. I said I wasn’t going through all that again,” Quayle said.

“Then Roger Davies (Turner’s Australian-born manager) rang from America and said they had a song Tina was going to record at the end of the year and go on a new album. Roger said it had been written for sport.

“It was called Simply The Best. We went to America and heard the song and I rang Ken straight away. I told him it might or might not work and he said: ‘Go get it’.”

In 1993, the NSWRL secured another coup with Turner performing live at the grand final between Brisbane and St George at the Sydney Football Stadium.

The NRL intends to honour Turner throughout round 13.

They will play her hit songs and show her iconic rugby league advertising campaigns on the big screens across the venues at matches.

“Tina played a unique role in the most iconic sports marketing campaign in our history,” NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said.

“She will always be loved and remembered by rugby league fans.”

NSW Origin star Jarome Luai swapped out his usual RnB playlist for Turner’s classics at Thursday morning’s team walk in Coogee.

“We started playing Tina at 7 o’clock this morning,” Blues selector Greg Alexander said.

“All the players know her … how can you be a footy player and not know about Tina Turner?”

Tina Turner with Steve Roach.

Rugby league legend Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach appeared on screen with Turner and has fond memories of rugby league’s famous flirtation with the American singer.

“Tina Turner made it fashionable to be a rugby league supporter,” Roach said.

“That ad campaign was the greatest ever in Australian sport. There’s been nothing since that has beaten it.

“She was fantastic. I was starstruck. We were all in awe of her. We couldn’t believe we were getting the opportunity to be in the ad with Tina, she was fantastic.

“I remember her being so personable. She would sit around talking to everyone, smiling and laughing.

“You’d think a big superstar like that would just go about her business but that wasn’t the case. She was unreal. It was just great to be part of it.”

Roach’s Balmain teammate, Paul Sironen, who was part of the 1990 Simply the Best ad, praised the ingenuity of the campaign.

“The game powered with the growth of female spectators,” Sironen said. “It was cool to meet Tina at the time — she was a legend — but we didn’t realise the everlasting impact it would have on our game.

“We didn’t think they could out-do the What You Get Is What You See campaign but they did the following year with Simply the Best.”

Former rugby league glamour player Andrew Ettingshausen said the growth and success of today’s women’s game – headlined by a State of Origin game next Thursday night at CommBank Stadium – can be traced back to Turner’s two ads.

“It was a really important stage in rugby league, trying to get more females involved,” Ettingshausen said. “The ‘80s were a pretty tough old era and there were a lot of women not wanting their kids playing the game.

“They wanted to show off the players in a different light as well. They had us running along the beach in our cossies, going out in row boats and doing all the Aussie stuff.

“It was all designed to get more females to come to games. It was a blokey competition back in those days.

“It definitely worked and enabled the game to also flourish at the junior league level where the mums would now let their kids play because this campaign was so successful.”

Boo Bailey's tribute to Tina Turner.

Balmain and NSW legend Ben Elias has hailed Tina Turner for putting rugby league on the map after the rock superstar passed away overnight.

Elias was involved in the iconic ad campaign with Turner in the 1980s which introduced rugby league to an entirely new audience.

He spent barely 30 minutes with Turner but it left an indelible impression on Elias.

“We met her at Metropolis nightclub - we did a scene there,” Elias said.

“She tapped us on the shoulder and it was her. She was the real deal - what you see is what you get. She was bubbly and full of energy and very, very professional.

“She was a wonderful woman and it was amazing to have met her. We thought we were stars back then but we were a pimple on at the arse compared to what she was.

“She was a super, super, superstar. She walked in, did her business and left. She was the biggest female rock star in the world at the time.”

INSIDE STORY OF RUGBY LEAGUE’S TINA TURNER COUP

Balmain legend Paul Sironen didn’t think rugby league would ever out-do Tina Turner’s What You Get Is What You See campaign in 1989 - then along came Simply The Best.

Sironen battered and bruised opposition players over a rough and ready 14-season NRL career and rarely became nervous before grand finals, Test matches or State of Origin matches.

But the Tigers giant has admitted to being anxious ahead of meeting rock star, Turner, during filming of the 1990 NSWRL television advertising campaign, Simply the Best.

“It was cool to meet Tina at the time - she was a legend - but we didn’t realise the ever-lasting impact it would have on our game,” Sironen said.

“I still think it’s the greatest promotion of our game ever. As soon as you heard those songs, Simply the Best or What You Get Is What You See, you think of that NSWRL promotion and you start running in slow motion.

Singer Tina Turner brought glamour to rugby league. Picture: Action Photographics, Col Whelan

“We didn’t think they could out-do the What You Get Is What You See campaign but they did the following year with Simply the Best. She engaged with the players. I was nervous to meet her, to be honest.”

Former Australian Rugby League boss Ken Arthurson has hailed Turner as the “warm and bubbly” megastar who made the NRL a sporting juggernaut.

Arthurson was the man who signed Turner for the famous ‘Simply the Best’ campaign to promote rugby league’s Winfield Cup in the 1980s.

It proved one of the greatest marketing campaigns in Australian sports history and Arthurson hailed Turner for helping take rugby league to another level.

“She was such a lovely lady — she got on with everybody and was an outstanding person,” Arthurson said.

Allan Langer, Andrew Ettingshausen and Wayne Pearce during filming with Tina Turner.

“What a lovely lady she was and what a fantastic job she did for rugby league when she was here in Australia.

“We were all involved in the Simply the Best campaign and she was so magnificent and easy to work with.

“I am saddened by the news of her passing. She will be missed by so many.”

The NRL intends to honour Turner throughout round 13.

They will play her hit songs and show her iconic rugby league advertising campaigns on the big screens across the venues at matches.

NRL boss Andrew Abdo described her as having “unique” roles in the marketing of rugby league.

Arthurson revealed how close the Australian Rugby League came to scuppering plans for Turner to head-up promotion of the Winfield Cup.

Turner flew to Australia at the time for filming with some of rugby league’s then superstars, including Cronulla pin-up boy Andrew Ettingshausen and Broncos champion playmaker Allan Langer.

“I went to the board to suggest signing her and they had some concerns,” he said.

“They were pretty conservative and weren’t sure if an American woman was the right fit for our game, but it proved an outstanding success.

“The cost involved was a bit of a risk, but it more than paid for itself with the impact the campaign had.

“Tina, as big as she was, was a pleasure to deal with.

“Nobody could do anything but speak so highly of her. She was a professional to deal with and totally energetic and warm and bubbly.

“She took rugby league to another level. It was the most outstanding, successful sports marketing campaign I can remember.

“At that time, rugby league was the most dominant sport in Australia and she took it to another level.

“My best wishes go out to Tina and her family.”