Yes it is, I don't think any RL can afford to turn money down just to improve the aesthetics of their shirt.

Yeh, those corporate powerhouses like St Helens College, Totally Wicked & A-Star Recruitment with their huge marketing budgets, throwing silly money at Saints they can't afford to turn down.

Of course, the clubs could always offer exclusive kit sponsorship as we see in football, our national team, RU etc, using that exclusivity to drive for a higher main sponsorship price, and more than cover the paltry amounts they receive to sponsor the collar, shorts and what not.

Those Saints shirts are pretty dire. Blue one in particular needs burning. White one would be better with a higher V. Just looks odd.

Poor effort by Saints which makes a change. I'm sure my club Tigers will top it though for awfulness.

The Saints home kit 'V' will look like it's 3D and coming out of the shirt when you get the average rugby league replica kit wearer - giant belly n'all - walking down the street in one.

People will be ducking out of the way thinking a big red v is coming at them.

I can understand the occasional 'risky' design, but with regards to that away kit, what were they thinking!?

To be fair, we haven't had a properly awful kit for a while so its was due!!

I actually like the away kit. The home kit is a very bad homage to the 1985 'Meninga' kit.

Sworn enemies as we are you really have had to suffer some real abominations - our last two kits have been poor but overall since SL began we have whooped you as regards kits. Don't even seem to get the difference between Amberish and dayglow Orange - best of luck on that one.

I'll take a "can of whoop" from Wakey - as long as it's only over kit design and colour - no problem there Vasty.

I don't know what it's like at other clubs but at Leeds the additional sponsors (ie not Leeds Building Society) on the shirt/shorts etc bring in very useful extra revenue or services to the club. Global and Berry's both regularly take hospitality on matchdays (not just freebies associated with their sponsorship) and the club have a very strong relationship with Leeds Beckett Uni with both senior and academy players taking courses there and the Uni using the Carnegie Stand classrooms, and quite a few of the players and staff have cars provided by Global.
It's not just the pure cash from the sponsorship. It's a way of tying, often smaller, organisations to the club and hopefully developing long-lasting partnerships which will bear fruit in the future.

Quite right regarding partnerships with other businesses, and I imagine this is how most clubs do it (or try to do it). But, every professional sports club have these partners, some who've shown support through sponsorship for years, and others where there are mutual agreements. Yet, it's only really the SL who have their playing kits plastered with so many sponsors.

There are plenty of other ways these partners can sponsor the club, without it detracting from the playing kit, and like I said, the small sums involved could more than be made up by an exclusive main sponsor.

It's just a pet hate. I get why they do it, the RFL/SL set the rules on shirt sponsorship, I just think it looks naff and a bit small time.