Phil Gould, the general manager of Penrith, insists that the fridge, stocked with OAK products on game day, will remain in place, despite suggestions that it infringes on the rights of Telstra, the code’s naming rights sponsor.
Even though the NRL has its sights set on the Penrith Panthers for purported offenses against primary sponsor Telstra, the fridge still stands proudly in the media centre of the western Sydney club.
To put it another way, if David Gallop, the league’s chief, wants to seize the contentious Kelvinator, he’ll need to bypass the robust 
guards from E-Group Security—a Sydney-based protection firm that was contracted last night to provide 24/7 security for the cooler.
“Indeed, I’ve reached out to E-Group security to ensure the protection of Australia’s most treasured fridge,” Gould commented.
“Sammy Chamoun, our head of security, has been tasked with having someone safeguard the fridge around the clock.
“I’ve also noted that all the Oak milk has been removed since last weekend.
“I can guarantee that it will absolutely be replenished before our next home match against South Sydney on the upcoming Sunday.”
Honestly, you can’t find better stories than this.
However, it signals a peculiar confrontation between the NRL and Penrith’s general manager Gould, reminiscent of the most talked-about appliance in sports since Chicago Bear William “The Refrigerator” Perry.
The NRL reprimanded Penrith for showcasing a fridge filled with Oak milk—part of the club’s new $2.9 million sponsorship—as a backdrop during press conferences.
Officials from League HQ even went to the length of emailing the Panthers, asserting that the fridge positioned itself at the expense of Telstra—the naming rights sponsor—and thus must be removed ahead of the next home game against Souths.
That won’t occur.
On the contrary, the contentious fridge is gearing up for added security—with Sammy Chamoun, a retired Illawarra prop now dedicated to managing all security affairs at Penrith.
“Rest assured we’ll be putting in place an equivalent to a second Penrith team for support,” Chamoun quipped.
“Our firm provides protection for politicians and elite athletes… the fridge will receive the same VIP treatment.”
This security decision continues a hilarious saga that saw the Panthers garner significant encouragement from league fans across Twitter and Facebook yesterday.
It’s reported that sponsors from multiple rival Sydney organizations even reached out to commend the club for the creativity of its marketing team.
After concluding a 12-year partnership with Sanyo in 2011, the Panthers aligned with Oak due to its perfect synergy with their goal to attract families in western Sydney.
by Buford Balony
