LAS VEGAS: Whatever questions Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo ask themselves about a potential global round, Las Vegas has to remain part of the answer.
I’ve been a rugby league tragic for as long as I can remember and to witness first-hand the incredible takeover this past weekend was truly something special.
There is something so uniquely perfect about Vegas as a host city for a footy festival.
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Lachlan Galvin walks down Fremont Street. Getty
While yes, gambling and drinking – for better or worse – is a large part of Australian culture, the atmosphere is what really sets this rugby league bonanza apart.
Every hotel and casino has its own vibe and unique feel which is part of what makes Vegas such a fun place to visit, but this week they were all overrun by league fans.
What took me by surprise was the sheer amount of access the travelling fans had to meet and mingle with the players.
From signing sessions to player mixers at different venues across the strip to simply seeing fans bump into players and give their time in hotel lobbies, there was a sense of openness from everyone involved and it was like the players let the guards down, knowing they were in the midst of a magical experience.
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Cowboys fans line up to meet the players in Las Vegas. iPhone
I’ve attended two WrestleManias – the biggest event in professional wrestling and one of America’s marquee yearly sporting events – but those fans could only dream of getting up close with their heroes in the same way the NRL fans did.
Clubs clearly realise fans are the lifeblood of the sport and that many people would have spent thousands of dollars to make what is essentially a rugby league pilgrimage to the other side of the world – the type of thing you might only do once in a lifetime.
There was also plenty of representation of ex-players from the four NRL teams, with the likes of Kurt Gidley, Michael Morgan, Josh Reynolds and Jason Nightingale making appearances and meeting fans, stopping for photos whenever they were asked and not batting an eyelid either.
“It’s pretty surreal – I’m working for the club now, so to be able to come over and be part of it is awesome,” Cowboys great Gavin Cooper told Wide World of Sports.
The crown jewel of the build-up was the Fan Fest on Thursday night, which saw an estimated 16,000 fans pack into the iconic Fremont Street precinct as players walked the red carpet, high-fived countless fans and danced on stage just 48 hours before their first games of the season at Allegiant Stadium.
The event was like nothing I have been to before and the most impressive thing was the love for rugby league in the air.
Bulldogs and Dragons fans show their support during the Fan Fest. Getty
Rivalries between footy teams didn’t matter in that moment, because no matter what colours people were wearing, there was a sense of unity knowing they were all part of something memorable that could only be spurned by a love of rugby league.
There were plenty of funny sights – like spotting a sign for one bar that said “two drinks minimum” which is a far cry from a lot of Aussie pubs.
I’d also have hated to be the street cleaners after the footy fans had all departed.
A bar on Fremont Street’s bold advertising. iPhone
Plenty of trash was left behind on Fremont Street. iPhone
Fremont Street during the NRL Fan Fest. iPhone
Scrum Vegas III – a party organised by former Dragons player and USA rugby league pioneer David Niu – brought out the passion of rugby league in a fun, relaxing and unofficial way as the Fan Fest wound down and fans looked for the next adrenaline hit.
The standouts off the field during the week were undoubtedly our English brothers and sisters from Hull KR and Leeds, who brought the party atmosphere like only they can.
It was hard to walk 100 metres in Vegas and not spot someone wearing a Rovers or Rhinos jersey and they all had stories to tell, laughs to share and songs to sing.
They’re also a rowdy bunch and I’d love to know what the locals think.
We probably got a glimpse when security at the Circa Stadium Swim’s rugby league takeover event on Thursday afternoon had to tell the chanting Hull KR fans, decked out in jerseys and flags, to tone it down and stop causing such a ruckus.
Then comes game day itself.
It’s a long wait until 4pm for the first game, which means plenty of fans were getting stuck into the Bud Lights or Miller Lites early on.
But once kick off started to approach, it felt like almost the entire flock of 45,719 people – a new attendance record for the NRL’s Vegas games – made the short walk across a dedicated pedestrian bridge from the famous Mandalay Bay to the stadium.
Sam Thaiday walks the bridge alongside Bulldogs fans. Nine
Hull KR and Leeds fans set the tone with plenty of singing and chanting in what ended up being a one-sided thrashing for the Rhinos, perhaps forcing some Rovers fans to seek an early exit from their ground before the first of two NRL games even started.
Newcastle and North Queensland went back and forth in an entertaining affair, before St George Illawarra and Canterbury traded blows – almost literally – in a gritty extra time showdown that saw Stephen Crichton ice it in the final seconds.
But let’s be honest – what happened on the field paled in comparison to how much happened off it over the course of the build-up and even after the dust settled.
Lil Jon’s afterparty at Zouk Nightclub was packed full of journos, footy fans and even a large chunk of the Dragons squad, letting their hair down after a devastating golden-point loss, dancing along to the iconic 2000s hitmaker to cap off a wild week.
Lil Jon during his DJ set at the rugby league afterparty. iPhone
There are going to be continued sceptics of the NRL’s bold plan to crack into the American market and even conquer the world with a future “global round” concept.
Yes, a large majority of fans were travelling Aussies and Brits, with plenty of locals totally unaware that three rugby league games were even going to be played.
But this weekend, as much as the NRL brass want it to be about taking over and bringing new eyeballs to the product, is for the fans.
James Graham says it often on The Bye Round podcast – rugby league is a made-up game with made-up rules, but it brings people together from all walks of life and there was no better example of how beautiful that can be than in Vegas.