I admit I was one of the severe doubters when the NRL announced it planned to open its season in Las Vegas a couple of years back.
Perhaps it was because I’d heard this before – the league’s big American dream, and how the prospect of rugby league going global was real.
I just couldn’t see the logistics coming together. Couldn’t see fans making the trek. Couldn’t imagine the kind of atmosphere I ultimately personally witnessed over the last week in Sin City.
I was wrong, and I won’t be the first person Peter V’landys has said ‘I told you so’ to.
But the NRL hasn’t got this quite right yet, and I’ll get to that in a moment.
My biggest question in the lead-up to Vegas was exactly how much it would feel like rugby league had taken over the city. After all, Las Vegas is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world – it was very possible rugby league would simply get lost in the countless other reasons for visiting this famous place in the middle of the desert.
My first inkling that that wouldn’t be the case was in Nashville, my four-day stop-over before heading to Vegas.
On a side note, what an incredible place Nashville is – especially if you love country music. It is a reminder of how Sydney completely destroyed its live music scene with poker machines, given how vibrant the bar scene is with live acts in literally every single venue you enter along the famous Broadway.
At the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum last Tuesday, a Panthers fan spotted me as ‘that guy from the paper’ – the first suggestion perhaps that Australians had indeed invaded America for a week or two.
And so I guess it was ultimately no surprise that in Vegas, you couldn’t walk 10 steps without seeing another jersey. Plenty of people representing the teams involved but lots of Rabbitohs, Bulldogs and Eels jerseys as well. I even spotted some tortured soul in a Tigers jumper.
My first stop last Thursday was the Fan Fest – and if you go to Vegas for this event in the future, it will absolutely blow your mind. It’s the moment you realise that V’landys and Andrew Abdo had something here all along – Magic Round on steroids, as some have described it.
I will say though that Magic Round offers more of a rugby league community feel than Vegas does. Rivalries still run deep in Vegas, and the city itself can certainly consume fans. Distraction is an understatement when it comes to Las Vegas.
Magic Round feels like you’re there for the greater good – to prove rugby league is community at heart, that the game comes first for most of us and our beloved teams second. Vegas hits a little different, but it’s still spectacular.
There is three years to run on the Vegas concept and I am sure the NRL will learn from it more and more each year.
As many have since suggested, the concept of having four games was ultimately problematic – as it split attendance through the day and didn’t provide the atmosphere I’m told existed last year.
Even in our group of 12 or so people who were heading to the game, there was debate over what time we should go. With kids involved, going to all four games was an impossible scenarion.
The fixtures themselves need a review too.
As much as the women’s game has grown so impressively in recent years, I’m not sure a one-off Test has a place on the agenda if the game has the prospect of delivering a 90-4 scoreline.
We can’t just have it there for the sake of it, and no disrespect to the Jillaroos who were fantastic, but we need a more competitive match if it is going to be part of the game’s new showcase.
I don’t want to enter the Centrelink line behind Marty Sheargold but we cannot be afraid to talk about whether or not a women’s fixture has a place in the day simply because it might offend people.
We can surely have the sensible conversation that a women’s match is problematic in terms of the talent divide at Test level, and the fact the NRLW competition is months away from starting when the Vegas weekend is held.
Some have suggested a State of Origin fixture would suit better, which certainly has some merit.
I’m also getting more and more convinced that the World Club Challenge may have a place here.
It feels difficult logistically, especially given you wouldn’t be able to officially announce the Vegas teams until October, which makes it a little tougher in terms of holiday planning and the like.
But there is something to be said for a trophy behind up for grabs that could help lure more and more American fans to rugby league.
In the end, I admit I’m converted.
We’ve gone from launching the rugby league season at Leichhardt Oval or Penrith Park to the entertainment capital of the world. Manufactured or not, that is something for rugby league to be proud of.
I hear there’s talk of other international locations being explored once the Vegas contract is done, which makes sense – many wouldn’t make the trip a second time.
In short, rugby league comes away from Las Vegas a winner.
Which is pretty good, considering not many do.
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.