The National Rugby League Season in Australia is due to kick off in about 11 days and this year (in an attempt to promote the competition globally) the opening 2 games of the season are going to be played in Las Vegas, USA. For American sports fans who are bummed out that the Superbowl is over and there’s no hard hitting footy to be played for another 7 months or so, this is an opportunity to see how the Aussies do it LIVE.
There are 2 games scheduled for the 3rd of March at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas in a classic Double Header. Four of the NRLs top teams will be hitting it out. Manly Sea Eagles play the South Sydney Rabbitohs and then the Sydney Roosters play the Brisbane Broncos. The NRL is determined that these games be the best showcase for our game and so hopefully the teams will all be pumped up to play in front of a massive crowd. In truth, that stadium could be half full and still be bigger than what we’re used to over here...
For me, I am a little bit skeptical. I know that Americans sometimes watch our game being played without protective padding or helmets and are often in awe of the physical contact and collisions, but I’m not convinced that these games will be well attended. Of course, over here these Vegas games are being hyped up to no end and the initiative will be labelled an enormous success whatever happens.
A lot will come down to the players though. NRL players can be undisciplined and unprofessional at times and a trip to Las Vegas might be treated as a bit of a junket by some. If the players put in a poor show or get caught in a drunken controversy like they sometimes do over here, it’d be a pretty bad look. Our Player Handlers will need to be on high alert. If it were up to me the players would have a Booze Ban and be effectively Locked Down in a tightly controlled environment for the entire trip – even AFTER the matches. We will have to see...
