Las Vegas 2024: NRL to offer playing contracts to US athletes as part of NFL-style combine
The NRL has shown how serious it is about creating a pipeline for US talent to make the jump to rugby league - lining up deals for four athletes in a move it expects will aid expansion.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The NRL will offer four American athletes potential full-time contracts to join an NRL club as part of a historic rugby league combine to try to tap into the best male and female talent.
At the official launch of the NRL’s historic 2024 season-opening double header at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Wednesday, the NRL confirmed plans to fly a representative from each of its 17 clubs to the US-based event in March to run their eye over potential recruits.
The NRL also revealed it would host a nines tournament for domestic US players and announced partnerships with the UFC and NASCAR.
However, it is the chance to form a direct player pathway from the US to the NRL which looms as a significant opportunity for the code.
“We are going to be working with local partners and we will be going out to the male and female college athletes and they get to apply,” NRL boss Andrew Abdo said.
“The top 50 male and female applicants will come down for an intensive session. We will have our high-performance team, who will be filtering and monitoring the statistics and the testing on the day.
“The output gets captured in a report. That information gets sent off. A short-list develops on that day.”
Jillaroos coach Brad Donald will oversee the combine along with the game’s high-performance unit. The college athletes will take part in a range of fitness and skills drills at Ed W. Clark High School in Las Vegas.
From there, the NRL will choose two female and two male athletes and give them an opportunity to travel to Australia to train with teams. Clubs will then be given an option to offer a player a full-time development deal.
“If we can open up in the long-term a pipeline of talented US athletes – male and female – that will help us with our expansion plans and it will have so much benefit for the game,” Abdo said.
“We will cover the actual tour and they will get an opportunity to visit different clubs. Then, at the end, there is an opportunity for clubs to make an offer.”
The NRL will also stage a two-day nines tournament in Las Vegas on the Thursday and Friday before the double header on Saturday, local time, between Manly and South Sydney, and the Sydney Roosters against Brisbane.
There will be an under-18s and open competitions for men and women.
“It’s exciting for us to open this up to the rugby league community which exists already,” Abdo said. “We are working with USA Rugby League. We are putting together nine’s tournament. We’ve had a huge response and 27 teams have already entered.
“It’s not just for rugby league teams. We think we can attract some rugby union teams.
“It will be played across two days and there will be prize money for the winners. It’s about connecting them to the rugby league community. They will attend the game.”
The NRL also confirmed they would use US-themed footballs for the matches while the goalposts will be painted yellow like they are in the NFL.
VIVA LAS VEGAS: WE HAVE LIFTOFF
It was all the excitement of rugby league, but with a US flavour.
For the first time, the NRL was taken out of its comfort zone and thrust in front of an international audience as the league officially launched its 2024 season-opening double header to be played in Last Vegas.
While there was no glitz or glamour, it was a launch which put the product first. The players and their on-field feats were celebrated to the theme of iconic Australian rockband AC/DC’s Thunderstruck.
A highlights package was played on the big screen across Allegiant Stadium, the venue which will host South Sydney, Manly, Sydney Roosters and Brisbane to kickstart the competition next year.
The voices of Andrew Voss, Dan Ginnane, Warren Smith and Ray Warren could be heard as the backdrop for a Reece Walsh backflip, a Cody Walker try, a Latrell Mitchell run and Roosters coach Trent Robinson banging on the glass.
‘Rugby League in Las Vegas’ then beamed across the massive screens.
To help give the local media a better perspective, the players were introduced with an NFL reference. Aaron Woods was compared to Raiders NFL defensive gun Maxx Crosby. Campbell Graham was described as a running back/wide receiver, Billy Walters likened to a quarterback while Spencer Leniu is a “Super Bowl” winner.
Abdo, too, tried to educate the US media. He told them about touchdowns being called tries and how a lot of the NRL-based teams have been named after American franchises.
“Hopefully that video clip and in a couple of months time you will see why Aussies love rugby league,” Abdo said. “Americans and Australians have always had a bond. We believe rugby league can bring us even closer. Our vision is for US sports fans to be part of our community.”
The launch came complete with an Elvis impersonator and Vegas showgirls.
The announcement of partnerships with big-time sporting bodies UFC and NASCAR are another important step in growing the game. There will be a ticket deal as part of the NASCAR venture while, in the first year, the UFC deal is largely surrounding marketing opportunities.
The star of the launch was retired UFC legend Forrest Griffin.
“I am excited to work with these athletes, “Griffin said. “In a different life I am pretty sure they could’ve been fighters.
“In the past 20 minutes I’ve convinced myself that if I had known about rugby league, I could’ve gone professional.
“I was a really mediocre American footballer so hopefully I would’ve been better (at rugby league).
“I love the pace of the game. Think about it. They get 80 minutes done faster than we can get 60 minutes done in American football.
“It is an easy game to understand. (Las Vegas) is a great place to do it.”
There was a dour 3-0 NFL match at the same venue just two days prior, which some experts labelled the worst game ever.
Griffin said the NRL had little to beat in terms of a better spectacle than that Raiders and Vikings match.
“If that’s your standard or comparison you guys are already winning.”
Mick Ackers was one of the dozen strong local media to attend the press conference from across broadcast, online and newspaper publications. Akers, a sport and business journalist with the Las Vegas Review Journal, said interest levels in the game were building.
“Some of the fans have experience with rugby with rugby sevens having been played in Las Vegas before,” Akers said. “There is a built-in fan base. Having it at Allegiant Stadium will draw buzz. Having something like this annually will help grow it more.
“We have big football fans in terms of the NFL. They like the action. Any NFL fan that checks out rugby will be pleasantly surprised with how high action it is.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Las Vegas 2024: NRL to offer playing contracts to US athletes as part of NFL-style combine
NRL Rich 100: Walsh among nine snubbed Maroons stars
Reece Walsh is among a posse of Queensland Origin stars that didn’t make the 2024 Rich 100 list, in proof that big bucks doesn’t guarantee big-name performances. See the analysis of notable omissions and underperforming inclusions.
Coach unleashes blistering NRL attack
Outgoing Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett has taken aim at the NRL as he launched a scathing attack on the controversial Bunker system.