NRL Kicked Off In Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas, Showing Its Potential In Day One

In its long and infamous history, rugby league has promised the globe and delivered an atlas, with even greater failures to deliver on the lofty aspirations. Not right now. An astounding outcome for the NRL saw over 40,000 fans attend the inaugural premiership matches in the United States.

NRL Kicked Off In Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas, Showing Its Potential In Day One

After two fantastic games lived up to the enormous excitement surrounding the event, Peter V’Landys’ ambition of bringing rugby league to America became a reality for the NRL. The sizzling complemented the meat.

As opposed to the NFL, where players with injuries are treated in those blue tents on the sidelines as frequently as guests arrive and depart from the hourly hotels outside of Las Vegas strip, the National Rugby League plays on despite the constant raw brutality to its rhythm.

The AFL, who have long been seen as the industry leader in highlighting their own significance, will be envious. Because of the extensive coverage of the NRL’s Las Vegas tour, very few people north of the Murray would be able to tell you that the AFL season begins this week. Rugby league has seldom dominated the news or the public’s perception of sports for the proper reasons.

The cruelty of rugby league was soon exposed to the American public. In the first set, Sean Keppie, a former Sea Eagle, was abused by his old teammates. Two minutes later, Tevita Tatola folded Tolutau Koula, and Souths fired back. Latrell Mitchell gave Lachlan Croker the steamroller treatment.

One thought that kept coming to mind while I watched the historic NRL doubleheader on Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium—the Manly Sea Eagles defeating the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Sydney Roosters defeating the Brisbane Broncos—was that these rugby players must think the NFL players are soft in comparison.

because play seems to halt as frequently as Jets quarterbacks score touchdown passes in their games, and because it is harsh and quick. Consequently, there aren’t many.

For the thirty-second time in my career as a scribe, I was able to see the biggest, most magnificent event in American sports from the seats at Allegiant Stadium three weeks ago.

When Mitchell crashed over for a power try early in the second half, it was clear from his yell of emotion that the players valued their time in Las Vegas. Shortly after, he made the slightest of gestures to make Alex Johnston understand.

If the first half of the match on US soil was characterized by toughness, the second half was characterized by scoring, with four tries in the first fifteen minutes. Upon Manly’s 36-24 victory, all the boxes had been checked, displaying the code in an actual 11-try victory.

“I think we’ve made a huge impact,’’ Manly halfback Luke Brooks said after scoring a “try’’ (rugby’s version of a touchdown) in his debut match with the club after 11 seasons with the Wests Tigers.

The chairman and owner of Manly, Scott Penn, who resides in New York City, referred to the evening and the week as “a huge success” and said, “this is building for the future.”

“The occasion itself was a big occasion,’’ Manly coach Anthony Seibold said. “It was a great opportunity for us. We wanted our most important 80 minutes of the week-and-a-half we’ve been here to be tonight, and we feel like we played some really good footy. We’re proud to come out here and represent the NRL and proud to get a win.”

This was the NRL’s first foray into American waters, and it made a compelling argument for the many Americans inside Allegiant Stadium as well as for those like myself who are not familiar with the sport.

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo expressed his excitement about taking the Australian rugby league to a new frontier.

“The 2024 Las Vegas matches will form part of an exciting ‘Australia Week’ in Las Vegas where we will be showcasing rugby league and Australia to the US market,” Abdo said.

“We are now working collaboratively with the four clubs to finalise arrangements for the proposed matches in Las Vegas and make this a blockbuster event for fans by maximising travel, attendance and enjoyment of a unique rugby league experience.

“Rugby league will be on a stage which the sport has simply never been on before and we look forward to giving all clubs the opportunity in coming years.”

Which NRL teams are playing in Vegas?

The four teams playing in the NRL Vegas season opener are as follows:

  • Sydney Roosters
  • Brisbane Broncos
  • Manly Sea Eagles
  • South Sydney Rabbitohs

The Sea Eagles and Rabbitohs will face off first, followed by the Broncos and Roosters.

Date (AEDT) Time (AEDT) Game
Sunday, March 3 1:30 pm Rabbitohs vs. Sea Eagles
Sunday, March 3 3:30 pm Broncos vs. Roosters

Is NRL going to Las Vegas in 2024?

The Sydney Roosters upset the Brisbane Broncos 20-10 to open the 2024 NRL season in Las Vegas, after Manly’s 36-24 victory against South Sydney at the Super Bowl venue.

What NRL teams are playing in Vegas?

The Brisbane Broncos, Sydney Roosters, South Sydney Rabbitohs, and Manly Sea Eagles are the four clubs who have been confirmed to compete. Andrew Abdo, CEO of the NRL, expressed his excitement about pioneering Australian rugby league into uncharted territory.

Why is NRL going to Vegas?

Like any other gambler or entertainment in the city, the NRL is in Las Vegas to earn money. It longs for some of the $180 billion that the American Gaming Association makes.

 

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