NRL rule out Bulldogs deal

A sponsorship deal worth $2 million to Canterbury has been blocked by the NRL due to a contractual issue.

League bosses have ruled that the deal with the Strathfield Group, who supply electrical goods, cannot go ahead as it would conflict with the competition’s main sponsor Telstra.

The company, which agreed the three-year deal with the Bulldogs in April, sells products on behalf of Telstra’s rival Optus.

Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg said the club would move on.

He told the Daily Telegraph:

“We have worked closely with the NRL in recent weeks in an attempt find a workable solution that was amenable for all parties.

“We were hopeful that such a significant sponsorship could remain in rugby league but unfortunately Telstra have confirmed that they see the Strathfield Group as a genuine competitor,” he said.