NRL dragged into Lomax saga as Eels issue urgent 48-hour court order<\/a><\/p>\nWests Tigers youngster Heamasi MakasiniSource: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n
While only months into his new gig, the man who played over 150 NRL games has drawn up a blueprint that, should it come off, will see America into the 2030 World Cup proposed for Las Vegas<\/p>\n
Asked specifically about Makasini this week, Woolnough politely declined to talk about which NRL and Super League players are eligible for the exciting transformation taking place Stateside. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut I will say I\u2019ve got a list of about a dozen players,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd so right now, I\u2019m speaking with clubs, agents and players about that eligibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd already, three or four players have confirmed they are keen to play.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo for us, we are looking for young guys where this opportunity could be the start of a representative career.<\/p>\n
\u201cOr it could be others who have already done it for us like Cronulla\u2019s Ronaldo Mulitalo, and I can mention him because he\u2019s already played for USA Nines.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel Vidot is another one. He has just landed in Las Vegas today and will be playing on Friday night.\u201d <\/p>\n
With America currently ranked No.22 in the world, Woolnough is looking to play up to six internationals a year \u2013 against the likes of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France — to ensure they can make a run to the 2030 World Cup. <\/p>\n
And for those keen footy fans reading this in Las Vegas, you can watch American play Scotland at Coronado High School on Friday night.<\/p>\n
Kikau all in on Bulldogs future | 06:53<\/p>\n
BULLDOGS\u2019 BIG ADVANTAGE<\/p>\n
Canterbury backrower Viliame Kikau says the decision by club executives to arrive in Las Vegas two days before rivals St George Illawarra \u2013 and at a significant cost \u2013 definitely gives the Bulldogs an advantage heading into Sunday\u2019s headliner.<\/p>\n
In other big news, Kikau has also revealed himself to now be an unabashed fan of The Eagles, after having watched the legendary American group play at The Sphere on Friday night.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had heard the California song before,\u201d Kikau cackled after training this week, referencing that little number otherwise known as Hotel California. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t know it was them.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut now it\u2019s being played in the team room, on the bus, everywhere we go.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the Bulldogs were first into town last Thursday, St George Illawarra were last into Las Vegas on Saturday morning \u2013 meaning Canterbury were already preparing for a Sunday training session as the Dragons enjoyed a night out.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I think that is [an advantage],\u201d Kikau said. \u201cJust acclimatising to weather, the environment, everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy Sunday, a few of the boys actually said it felt like we had been here for a week already, just from all the parties over the first two days.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019m happy we\u2019re here now. Into game mode with everyone locked in. It\u2019s actually been good ever since the first session we did was inside the Las Vegas Raiders amazing facility, on Astro turf.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only trouble is the boys have been getting dry lips. Everyone is using paw paw cream.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anything else?<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t get away from the pokies,\u201d Kikau cackled, \u201cthey\u2019re everywhere we walk\u201d.<\/p>\n
NRL and NFL stars mix in Vegas | 07:54<\/p>\n
FLANNO TAKES HUGE LAS VEGAS HIT<\/p>\n
Please spare a thought today for Dragons No.6 Kyle Flanagan, who has taken what has to be one of the worst hits of any NRL Las Vegas week \u2013 the coffee run.<\/p>\n
As part of preparations for this Sunday\u2019s Allegiant Stadium blockbuster against Canterbury, Dragons players finished a field session with a conditioning game that saw the left edge and starting middles square off against the right edge and bench middles.<\/p>\n
And the stakes were high — losers buy coffee.<\/p>\n
Which at roughly US$15 a cup here in Las Vegas, is no small thing.<\/p>\n
And apart from telling you that the left edge lost, there have also been whispers from inside Dragons camp suggesting said group then drew straws on who was taking the hit for all of it — and Flanagan lucked out.<\/p>\n
Although given how twisted stories tend to get here on the strip, who knows? What we can confirm is that Dragons players are now well and truly ripping into training after a weekend which included visiting Omnia nightclub to see DJ Steve Aoki perform.<\/p>\n
North Queensland Cowboys training session in Las Vegas ahead of this weekends opening round of the NRL 2026 season – Jaxon Purdue Picture NQ CowboysSource: Supplied Source Known<\/p>\n
COWBOYS ANOINT CHIEF ENERGY OFFICER<\/p>\n
North Queensland\u2019s hyped prospect Jaxon Purdue may be too young to drink or gamble here in Las Vegas, but the young centre has still been given a key role by fellow Cowboys players.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I have to carry the team speaker,\u201d he told us this week. \u201cBeing the youngest in the squad, that\u2019s my job all week.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still only 20, Purdue had never been outside Australia before this trip.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy furthest flight was Perth,\u201d grins the Cowboy whose mum will also be making her first overseas trip later this week, when she arrives into town with a group of over 15 family and friends. <\/p>\n
Given America\u2019s legal drinking age is 21, Purdue stresses he has steered clear of even the $5 Budweiser deals down by Fremont Street this week. \u201cDon\u2019t want to get in any trouble,\u201d he grins. \u201cPlus, there\u2019s also a bigger picture at play here.\u201d <\/p>\n
Apart from adding his name to a list of rugby league speaker carriers \u2013 which, most notably, includes Penrith Chief Energy Officer Brian To\u2019o — Purdue says he is also looking to bring increased consistency to his game in 2026.<\/p>\n
PVL reveals more global plans | 06:23<\/p>\n
NRL PLAYERS CROSS PATHS WITH UFC TOUGH<\/p>\n
Newcastle players were given a wonderfully Las Vegas treat while lifting weights inside the UFC Performance Institute this week, crossing paths with former middleweight champion Sean Strickland. Among the most outspoken athletes anywhere on planet earth, Strickland actually had his microphone cut off while speaking with the media after winning at the weekend. Hours later, the Bulldogs players ran into UFC featherweight challenger Diego Lopes, who is back in training after recently losing a second title shot against Alexander Volkanovski.<\/p>\n
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS OPEN THEIR DOORS<\/p>\n
Kangaroos great Danny Buderus was among a handpicked group of NRL players and staff who were invited into Las Vegas Raiders HQ on Wednesday to check out the facilities and meet up with players.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hyped Wests Tigers rookie Heamasi Makasini is in line to become the shock new face of American rugby…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":502605,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[252700,49512,2095,252703,252685,64,63,689,252705,252698,252691,23165,252696,67669,222480,252694,252688,40800,252684,99965,44864,252697,4591,81207,2572,2057,252686,252687,252081,763,2592,20924,252689,252704,26779,11738,2623,252701,252692,647,76133,11399,2627,2782,2041,764,2067,3583,128901,677,252693,48463,61495,122368,159,252702,5994,43022,33195,85,4563,4546,52336,121791,252699,1080,80030,252690,252695,245689,94360,2614,4412,660,12812,2062,4515,252206],"class_list":{"0":"post-502604","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-adam-woolnough","9":"tag-advantage-heading","10":"tag-america","11":"tag-american-play","12":"tag-american-rugby-league","13":"tag-au","14":"tag-australia","15":"tag-australia-and-new-zealand","16":"tag-barnstorming-winger-able","17":"tag-bench-middles","18":"tag-blockbuster-return","19":"tag-brian","20":"tag-chief-energy-officer","21":"tag-coffee-bill","22":"tag-coffee-run","23":"tag-conditioning-game","24":"tag-coronado-high-school","25":"tag-court-order","26":"tag-daniel-vidot","27":"tag-danny-buderus","28":"tag-diego-lopes","29":"tag-dragons-no-6-kyle-flanagan","30":"tag-dylan-edwards","31":"tag-elite-level","32":"tag-energy","33":"tag-europe","34":"tag-featherweight-challenger","35":"tag-field-session","36":"tag-fight-capital","37":"tag-fox-league","38":"tag-france","39":"tag-game-day","40":"tag-game-mode","41":"tag-international-tug-of-war","42":"tag-ireland","43":"tag-jaxon-purdue","44":"tag-las-vegas","45":"tag-league-speaker-carriers","46":"tag-legal-drinking-age","47":"tag-melbourne","48":"tag-middleweight-champion","49":"tag-multiple-defenders","50":"tag-nevada","51":"tag-nick-walshaw","52":"tag-north-america","53":"tag-north-queensland-cowboys","54":"tag-northern-america","55":"tag-northern-europe","56":"tag-nrl-and-super-league","57":"tag-oceania","58":"tag-paw-paw-cream","59":"tag-planet-earth","60":"tag-poster-boy","61":"tag-representative-career","62":"tag-rugby-league","63":"tag-rugby-league-speaker","64":"tag-scotland","65":"tag-sean-strickland","66":"tag-season-opener","67":"tag-sports","68":"tag-st-george-illawarra-dragons","69":"tag-stephen-crichton","70":"tag-steve-aoki","71":"tag-stunning-try","72":"tag-stunning-try-turns","73":"tag-sydney-roosters","74":"tag-team-room","75":"tag-team-speaker","76":"tag-tigers-rookie","77":"tag-tigers-youngster","78":"tag-ufc-performance-institute","79":"tag-united-states-of-america","80":"tag-valentine-holmes","81":"tag-victoria","82":"tag-wales","83":"tag-western-europe","84":"tag-wests-tigers","85":"tag-young-centre"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/502604","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=502604"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/502604\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/502605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=502604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=502604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=502604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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