After two years of ho-hum Bon Jovi-endorsed hero-worship, the NRL have turned to The Sapphires star and Australian Idol finalist Jessica Mauboy in a bid to make inroads into the female and parental markets. Where Bon Jovi’s “This Is Our House” made it clear that the real heroes where the elite superstars on the field, Mauboy’s Etta James “Something’s Got a Hold of Me” re-work sees a deliberate blurring of the fan/player divide.
While Mouboy’s effort may not be as iconic as Tina Turner’s 89/90 one-two, and lacks the blokey testosterone fueled catchiness of the Hoodoo Gurus‘ “That’s My Team“, she’s the perfect vehicle to channel the grass roots innocence that endures through doping allegations, off-field scandals, and player meltdowns.
Whether or not you feel the whole generic dance make-over of an Etta James classic is a sacrilegious slap in the face to blues fans, at least the NRL seems to have a clear idea of the message they’re trying to sell. It’s safe to say that it’ll be a hit with families but as for the ladies? What do you prefer?
This:
Or this:
Picture by Mark Metcalfe/Getty images
