Sport Confidential: Warriors lead the way for NRL Vegas 2025 opener, black dot turns purple for Women in League Round
The Warriors are getting used to sellouts after setting an NRL attendance record in 2024, and they are already leading the charge for purchasing tickets for Las Vegas next year. SPORT CONFIDENTIAL.
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The Warriors charter flight to Las Vegas sold out in 17 minutes.
The Warriors are getting used to sellouts after setting an NRL record by ensuring all their 2024 home games are at capacity while they are also leading the charge when it comes to purchasing tickets for Las Vegas next year.
The Warriors fans lead Penrith in the breakdown of ticket sales for Las Vegas with 32 per cent – seven ahead of the Panthers. Canberra fans have purchased 22 per cent of tickets and Cronulla (21 per cent).
Warriors boss Cameron George paid tribute to the good work people at his club were doing.
“It’s full credit to our staff for the hard work and planning,” George said.
“We are executing an amazing game day event that people around New Zealand are flocking to.
“There is heaps of excitement over here (regarding Las Vegas). We sold out our charter in 17 minutes. People are trying to find ways to get there because a lot of the flights are full.
“They are looking at different routes through Hawaii and we have a lot of Kiwis and expats that live in the States.
“We’re committed to helping the NRL sell out the game. We want to see every seat full which would be a wonderful experience.”
BRONCOS’ PARTY SHEDS WOULDN’T LAST UNDER WAYNE
There was a time when walking into the Brisbane Broncos’ dressing rooms after a loss felt like you had just arrived at a funeral.
Not anymore.
Win, lose or draw, hordes of people fill the home rooms at Suncorp Stadium after a game.
We are talking beyond 100 staff, friends, family and hangers’ on.
And it doesn’t seem to matter what the result of the game was, the beers are flowing. You’d think you’d walked into the sheds following a grand final win or State of Origin series victory.
We can understand the attraction of wanting to be part of Australia’s biggest sporting franchise. For some fans it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to go into a dressing room.
But there was a time where the atmosphere after a loss was much different.
We can’t imagine Wayne Bennett putting up with the type of scenes after last week’s disgraceful 41-16 effort against Canterbury.
It was so much one player said he “had to get out of there”.
BRONCOS CASH IN
We may be in the midst of a cost of living crisis but the Brisbane Broncos are cashing in on their insane popularity.
The Broncos have never been stronger off the field with 60,000 members, average home crowds beyond 40,000 and record revenue of $75 million last year.
And they are making the most of their fans’ insatiable appetite for a piece of the club.
The Broncos recently released a heritage tracksuit combination – a throwback to the club’s glory years in the 1990s.
The jacket and pants have been selling like hotcakes at the Red Hill merchandise store – with players even forking out their own money for the retro fashion statement.
Ezra Mam, Pat Carrigan Selwyn Cobbo were quick to buy the tracksuit, which isn’t part of the club-issued attire.
But it doesn’t come cheap, with the spray jacket retailing for $200 and the pants setting you back $120.
At $320 it may seem like a ridiculous price but the Broncos will have no problems selling out given their popularity.
DOLPHINS’ PERTH PLAN
The Dolphins have explained their reasoning for selling a home game to Perth with their season on the line.
The Dolphins will host the Roosters at HBF Park on Friday night – 4000km from Suncorp Stadium.
It is a huge game for Wayne Bennett’s club that is teetering on the edge of the top eight and in danger of missing the finals.
The Roosters are running third on the ladder and hot favourites to beat the Dolphins, who are on a five-day turnaround and have had to travel across the country after last Sunday’s loss to the Titans.
It’s far from an ideal scenario for Dolphins players, who we are sure would rather be playing the game at Suncorp Stadium where they beat the Roosters last year.
The timing couldn’t be worse.
The Dolphins have lost five of their past seven games and are running out of steam after starting the season on fire.
They will pocket a significant sum for selling a home game to Perth, but it may come back to bite them if they suffer another loss.
Dolphins CEO Terry Reader said the club was committed to spreading the rugby league gospel.
“The Dolphins have one game we take to other markets each year to promote our brand and help create new fans,” he said.
“We worked with the Western Australia government in 2023 to take a game as part of a double header event to Perth’s Optus Stadium which saw over 47,000 people attend and now in the second year of that agreement, we will play a stand-alone game at a sold out HBF Stadium on Friday.
“The game also helps WA highlight the Dolphins as a new and commercially successful expansion team while also promoting Perth’s NRL bid and the city’s love for rugby league.
“In 2024, the Dolphins have played in 11 different cities and regions across Australia and New Zealand, which has included NRL games and trials in six Queensland cities and regions.”
It’s an admirable cause but the Dolphins were done few favours by the NRL with this year’s draw and this could be another blow in their quest to play finals.
BENNETT’S BUNNIES OVERHAUL
Wayne Bennett is continuing to strengthen his South Sydney coaching staff next year with Steve Antonelli returning to the club.
Bennett worked with Antonelli during his final season at the Rabbitohs in 2021. But the veteran mentor has wasted little time in bringing him back to the club ahead of his return to Redfern next season.
Antonelli coached South Sydney’s NSW Cup side in 2021 and a year later was part of the club’s NRL set-up. He has spent the past two seasons at the Eels.
Antonelli will join current interim coach Ben Hornby on Bennett’s staff next season.
His fellow Parramatta staff member Trent Elkin will also join South Sydney as their head of performance once the Eels’ season ends.
RYLES RAMPS UP REBUILD
An ex-Eel who was Eddie Jones’ right hand man has been sounded out to be part of Jason Ryles’ revamped Parramatta coaching staff next year.
Former Wallabies and England attack coach Scott Wisemantel is in the mix to join Ryles’ staff as he plans to totally reshape Parramatta’s coaching situation.
Long before his decorated rugby coaching career, Wisemantel played lower grades at the Eels in the late 1980s.
He then became a successful coach in rugby with stints at the Waratahs, Japan, Samoa plus French and Japanese club teams.
Wisemantel also worked closely with Jones where he also built an association with Ryles who too was part of various Jones’ coaching teams in England and Australia.
Wisemantel was also heavily linked to the Waratahs top job earlier this year.
Ryles is in the midst of changing the Eels coaching set-up. Interim coach Trent Barrett won’t be working with the NRL side next year while head of performance Trent Elkin has joined the Rabbitohs.
Ryles has started work on finalising his coaching staff and has been meeting potential candidates. He will largely handle the defensive aspects next season.
FLEGLER’S FRUSTRATION
In-limbo Dolphins star Tom Flegler is still months away from finding out if he will ever play in the NRL again.
Flegler has been sidelined since round 5 due to a rare nerve problem in his shoulder.
He won’t play again in 2024 and Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett said he may not know if he’ll take the field again until well into the next pre-season.
“We get an update every day,” Bennett said.
“He’s not playing and won’t play this year.
“The question mark is whether he’ll play again or not – that’s undecided and it’s six months away from being decided.”
Flegler and fellow Maroons forward Tom Gilbert (knee) have been massive losses for the Dolphins this season.
COOK THE RECRUITER
Damien Cook has wasted little time turning his hand to recruitment manager at St George Illawarra. Cook – who will return to the Dragons next season – left a cheeky comment on Valentine Holmes’ Instagram page after Holmes was linked to a move to the Dragons.
Cook wrote “Ambrose partners next year” on one of Holmes’ photos in the hope of securing not only a star signing but a golf buddy in 2025.
BLACK DOT TURNS PURPLE
The black dot is no more … well for this round of matches at least. The NRL’s trademark black-dot in the middle of the crossbar has been replaced by a purple dot to help celebrate Women in League round this weekend.
Each crossbar will have its own purple tinge including this image taken at Leichhardt Oval this week.
The Tigers host the Cowboys on Thursday night to kickstart the traditional Women in League round.
VEGAS LIGHTS A LURE FOR OLYMPIC STARS
The NRL are planning an Olympic-sized raid by offering some of the best sevens players at the Olympics a shot at playing rugby league in Australia.
The NRL will use the carrot of a combine in Las Vegas next year as an opportunity for some of the most impressive Olympic sevens athletes to have a crack at rugby league. Jillaroos coach Brad Donald has been keeping a close eye on the matches with Donald to send out at least three invites to next year’s combine in Las Vegas.
For the men he is keen on Lucas Lacamp from the US and Canadian Jack Carson.
For the women, US duo Alex Sedrick and Iona Maher – who were part of the bronze medal team which beat Australia – sit on top of the list. Maher has more than two million Instagram followers.
Canadian Charity Williams will also be invited. They plan on trying to track down some of their male counterparts too and see if they are keen to give rugby league a go.
“The combine is an opportunity for us to reach out to some of the US and Canadian girls,” Donald said.
“It would be a great opportunity for them.
“We also wanted to identify some male athletes. The players who play sevens are a straight swap into our sport compared to the ones who don’t have a rugby or rugby league background.”
Gold medal winning trio Tyla King (Dragons), Stacey Waaka (Broncos) and Tenika Willison (Knights) are already contracted to NRLW teams.
SLAMMIN SAM’S PLEA
Sam Burgess has urged Canberra fans to be patient but he backed new Raider Matty Nicholson to have an impact in the NRL in 2025.
Burgess has coached Nicholson this season at Warrington and has been left impressed.
Nicholson has signed a three year deal to join the Raiders next season.
“He is a great young player,” Burgess said of the 21-year-old.
“He is a very good athlete. He is fit and covers the ground really well.
“He is still learning the game. You will have to be patient.
“Certainly potentially a great young player. I’ll be following him closely.”
TRY JULY
We asked for it, and the players delivered.
The return of the NRLW provided a huge last-minute boost for Sportsbet’s Try July, with $400,000 raised in total, with $200,000 each going to the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation and former Brisbane Broncos NRLW player Toni Hunt, who is battling cancer.
The women’s players had been particularly keen to get in on the action, and they didn’t let us down, with plenty of Olympics-inspired group celebrations.
Hunt said she was thankful for the support shown to her and her family.
“I am forever grateful for Sportsbet and the rugby league community for supporting me and my family. We are so blessed to have so many amazing people who continue to go above and beyond for us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”
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