They might have had a historic run through the 80s that saw the club win four premierships in just eight years, but the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are no stranger to the bottom half of the table of late, having not appeared in the top eight since 2016.
Welcome back to B&T’s Spotlight on Sponsors series, where we unpack all the major sponsorship news from each NRL and AFL team in the lead-up to the new season.
In the lead-up to 2024, Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo has been on a signing spree, bringing in some of the biggest names in the game in the hopes of solidifying his team’s chances at the premiership this year. With the likes of superstar Sharks centre Connor Tracey, three-time premiership-winning Panther Stephen Crichton and Rabbitohs young gun Blake Taaffe, Bulldogs appear poised for a comeback for the ages this season.
So what does all the change mean for sponsors? Will their partnerships be shaken up just like their team, or will the extended Bulldogs family remain strong?
B&T has you covered on all the sponsorship news from inside Canterbury-Bankstown below.
LAUNDY HOTELS
At the end of 2022, Laundy Hotels re-signed with the Bulldogs for a further five years as the club’s major sponsor. The arrangement secured the club’s sponsor until 2027 and has the potential to secure support through to the end of the 2032 season. The multi-million dollar deal secures the Laundy Hotel logo’s prime position, front and centre on the team’s jersey.
The family-owned hotel chain first signed with the club back in 2020 and has proven a reliable partner for the team. “The commitment from the Laundy’s to back our Family for an additional five years and a possible further five beyond that is a historic deal that strongholds the Bulldogs’ future,” said Bulldogs CEO Aaron Warburton when the deal was signed.
For the hotel group, the Bulldogs are not just a team but an extension of their family. Director and owner of the chain, Arthur Laundy, is a lifelong supporter of the team. “My family grew up in the area. My dad built the Twin Willows pub back in 1964, and it quickly became the unofficial clubhouse for the Bulldogs,” Laundy said at the time of re-signing. This connection was reciprocated in the 2023 jersey design in which the Laundy logo was printed in Bulldogs Blue and White as opposed to its traditional black and white.
M&J CHICKENS
At Bulldogs, community is at the core of what they do. This is evident in their partnership with local company, M&J Chickens. The wholesale supplier of specialised poultry products has had a strong connection with the club for over 20 years, and at the start of last year, they secured their connection for a further 2 years, seeing them through to the end of the 2024 season.
M&J is one of the Bulldogs’ longest sponsors and one of only two current partnerships to see the club through a premiership. “It is a relationship that has been forged from mutual respect, family values and strong ties with the community. M&J is all about family, as is the Bulldogs. Like the Bulldogs, Rugby League is in our DNA, and it is a privilege to be aligned with such an iconic Club and their proud community,” said M&J chief executive officer Sam Phylactou when the brand resigned last year.
JENNY SOURIS FOUNDATION
Die-hard fans will note that the M&J Chickens logo was noticeably missing from the 2023 jerseys and again this year, replaced by the Jenny Souris Foundation. This is no accident, in fact, the J in M&J stands for Jenny Souris who founded the poultry brand alongside husband Mina. Jenny, unfortunately, lost her 10-year battle with Leukaemia in 2020, and her family launched the foundation in her name.
Since the charity’s inception, they have become one of the Bulldogs Community Partners, with the club committed to supporting the hard work the foundation does to help individuals and families who are in need of critical medical treatment.
For the last two years, the Bulldogs have had one of their home games in honour of Souris and the work of the foundation. In 2023, The Jenny Souris Foundation Round was held during round 11. There is no official word on if this tradition will be upheld this year, but the team’s connection with the foundation remains just as strong as ever.
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