NRL Las Vegas 2024: Inside the $6.5 billion Resorts World precinct
The NRL is doing everything in its power to safeguard its Las Vegas kick-off from problems, but a closer look reveals there’s plenty on the players’ doorstep to keep officials concerned.
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These are the $6.54 billion facilities which will greet the players when they prepare for the NRL’s historic round one kick-off in Las Vegas next year.
This masthead was given a tour of the hotel which will house some of the game’s biggest names.
Located on the famous Las Vegas Strip, the likes of James Tedesco, Reece Walsh, Tom Trbojevic and Latrell Mitchell will call Resorts World home in the lead-up to the star-spangled double-header.
Manly will be the only team permanently based in Las Vegas, with the remaining sides spread across the west coast of the US before they move to the bright lights of Sin City. The Sydney Roosters and Brisbane Broncos will train in Los Angeles while South Sydney will be based in San Diego.
Broncos hooker Billy Walters, who is in the US with Roosters recruit Spencer Leniu, Manly’s Aaron Woods and South Sydney’s Campbell Graham ahead of the NRL’s official Las Vegas launch on Wednesday, said the resort was an eye-opener.
“It’s big,” Walters said. “There’s a lot of different things in the hotel. It’s a bit different to the hotels back in Australia.
“The casino is huge as well. It could be a bit of a distraction for a few boys. All in all it’s a good base with a good pool and gym.”
At Resorts World – which is the home to three hotels – the players will have access to large team rooms for meetings, a state of the art gym and a massive pool.
Resorts World is the newest hotel on the strip and was opened in 2021 at a cost of $6.5 billion, making it the most expensive resort property ever developed in Las Vegas.
Despite efforts to try and safeguard any potential problems there is no doubt temptation will be all around when 80 players arrive to play in March.
The 59-story hotel tower may be a 20-minute walk from the main strip, but there is still enough in the precinct to give the four coaches extra concerns.
Built on a massive 11,000 square-metre site, almost 1800 hotel rooms are a short stroll from a massive casino gambling floor with 1400 poker machines and 100-plus gaming tables, nightclubs and a cigar and sports lounge among more than 40 restaurants and bars, ensuring there is plenty to keep the wandering mind active.
“Everything is on a whole other level,” Leniu said.
“You get off the plane and you can see a casino straight away. It’s the culture in Vegas.
“Lucky for me I’m not a gambler. I won’t be distracted by any of that.”
Renowned rapper Ludacris performed at the hotel nightclub on Saturday night.
Other questionable establishments are also close by.
The 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium is a 15-minute drive on non-game days but that trip could take as long as an hour depending on traffic when marquee events are on.
‘CRAZY TO SEE MY MUG UP THERE’
Campbell Graham’s image is spread across the tallest building in Las Vegas. The 59-storey Resorts World which stands at 205 metres tall sits at the end of the famed Vegas strip.
South Sydney star Graham has been a constant on the building in recent weeks carting the ball up while being tackled in a heavy collision by Roosters arch rivals Victor Radley and Billy Smith. The image has been used to promote the game inside hotels and at Las Vegas Raiders home games. It flashed up on the big screen during the Raiders and Vikings game this week.
“It’s pretty crazy to see my mug up there,” Graham said. “It’s an awesome advertisement for the game and helping promote it.
“It’s a bit of luck that my image was chosen. It’s awesome. It feels like there is a fair bit of hype and people in Las Vegas want to come out and see us play and what we are about. It’s exciting.”
The Resorts World building had a rolling advertisement promoting the NRL for about 15 minutes on the side of the hotel which featured Campbell’s image as well as a video package of a charging Moses Leota and former Sea Eagles Jorge Taufua’s huge tackle on Justin Olam.
Campbell along with fellow NRL players Aaron Woods, Spencer Leniu and Billy Walters took some time out from their promotional duties to watch the advertisement.
“It’s been posted on social media so I’ve been sent it a couple of times,” Campbell said. “It’s pretty cool.
“(My teammates) are jealous I am over here and they are getting flogged.
“I’ll be home soon. But as a club it’s really exciting to be coming over here. I can’t wait to come over as a team and as a club. We’ve only been here for a couple of days but it’s been unreal so far.
“I am very excited.”
Fire up the barbies: NRL prepares Vegas tailgate party
American fans have been told to fire up their barbies as the NRL prepares to stage its own tailgate party as part of the historic double header in Las Vegas next year.
The NRL has descended upon the glitter strip with a splash after a quartet of players from the four clubs who will play next year – Manly’s Aaron Woods, South Sydney’s Campbell Graham, Sydney Roosters’ Spencer Leniu and Brisbane’s Billy Walters, plus NRL boss Andrew Abdo – travelling to the US on a promotional blitz.
With music blaring, drinks flowing and the smell of smoked meat in the air, the players walked through a tailgate party outside Allegiant Stadium ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings clash.
Tailgate parties are a massive part of the game day experience in the US, with fans setting up camp around the open tailgates of their cars and trucks in the stadium car park.
The players had a special American-themed Steeden in their hands and stood-out among the American faithful.
It would be premature to say they were easily recognised but at times they were greeted with cheers of “rugby”.
The NRL will have its own tailgate party where chicken wings and tacos may be replaced by a sausage sizzle or a Paul Hogan-style “shrimp on the barbie”.
“We want to embrace American tradition around sport and the tailgate parties are a great example of that,” Abdo said.
“It is a great opportunity for our Aussie fans to get to experience a tailgate party. We want the Americans to experience our sport. We want them here early and to soak up the atmosphere.
“I noticed how many of the away team fans travelled to the game.
“They came and soaked up Las Vegas. Not just inside the stadium which is beautiful but outside. Where the tailgate party is you can see the whole strip and you know you’re in Las Vegas.”
The tailgate party had about 10,000 people flowing through it hours before kick-off. Burgers were being flipped at will and at times it seemed there was a contest between who had the fatter cigar and wore the more bling.
But either way this was a world away from rugby league heartlands at Leichhardt or Brookvale. Walters, who has walked down Brisbane’s Caxton Street plenty of times, said experiencing the pre-game hustle was a totally foreign feeling.
“I haven’t experienced anything like that,” Walters said.
“You could see just how passionate they are for their team. The beers are flowing and the music is pumping. Everyone is just happy to be there.
“It makes the whole game day experience more enjoyably. I’d love it to start it in Australia. Who doesn’t like music and beers? It would go well.”
When the players entered the stadium they did the obligatory ball passing with celebrities too. Walters and Leniu stepped onto Allegiant Stadium – where they will square off in round one – and took to the field with former NFL quarterback turned Fox pundit Mark Sanchez.
They also spent time with Raiders great Shane Lechler who was presented with a Roosters and Broncos jersey.
Abdo was given a Raiders jersey with his surname on the back as he met with Raiders president Sandra Douglas Morgan who later joined the NRL players in their private suite.
The 65,000-seat stadium was sold out.
Graham’s face was plastered all over the big-screen as part of an advertisement for the match where he was being tackled by Roosters enforcer Victor Radley.
The advertisement has been a constant at Raiders home games in recent months.
Abdo said the game-day experience was something the NRL could learn from.
“I’ve noticed because there are a lot of stoppages in play you have to keep people engaged,” Abdo said.
“The Raiders do a great thing in keeping the fans engaged and making sure they are front and centre.”
Despite the NRL’s planned week-long promotion perhaps the best advertisement for the code was the dour 3-0 win by the Vikings against a struggling home side.
‘Money can’t buy opportunity’: NRL beamed into US homes
With about two million people watching on, rugby league was beamed live into the lounge rooms of the American audience they are desperate to crack.
For more than 2.5 minutes the US fans were given a taste of rugby league as the Fox Sports’ coverage devoted an entire segment to the NRL during the halftime break of the Raiders and Vikings clash.
The exposure is a money can’t buy opportunity for the NRL and will hopefully translate into growing interest in the code.
Commentator Kevin Kugler and former NFL quarterback turned commentator Mark Sanchez helped sell the game. Sanchez spent time pre-game passing a ball to Billy Walters and Spencer Leniu on the field.
Kugler told the viewers that, “for first time ever the National Rugby League will open up the season here on March 2”, before introducing Aaron Woods and Campbell Graham.
The players stood on the field at the break where they were interviewed by Fox’s sideline commentator Laura Okmin.
“The Americans love the collision in sport and Vegas is the entertainment capital,” Woods said. “We love it back home. There’s no helmets, there’s no pads. We just want to get the fans pumped up like they are today.”
The broadcast showed footage of Woods taking a hit up as well as Manly teammate Haumole Olakau’atu scoring a try. A Graham try against the Dolphins was also highlighted.
“We are going to try and bash each other,” Graham said. “We want to come out here and entertain. We have the product to do that. I am looking forward to coming back in March and putting on a show.”
Fox Sports One in the US have already committed to show the doubler header live which will give the game an opportunity to reach tens of millions of people.
Stars and Stripes: NRL unveil USA-inspired Steeden
The NRL has arrived in Las Vegas with a star spangled themed football as they plan to capture the American market.
The NRL will later this week officially unveil a new-look Steeden which has an American flag-like image embroidered on either end of the ball. It is the first step of a planned week-long blitz the NRL has organised to help try to crack the US market ahead of its historic double header in March.
The quartet of players, Manly’s Aaron Woods, Brisbane’s Billy Walters, Spencer Leniu from the Roosters and South Sydney’s Campbell Graham, took to passing the ball as they made their way into Allegiant Stadium to watch the Raiders and Vikings NFL clash.
The venue which holds 65,000 was at capacity for the clash just three months out before the NRL plan to take it over.
NRL boss Andrew Abdo said the freshly designed football was all part of the push to win over the American audience.
“This is such a unique opportunity for us,” Abdo said. “We thought it would be a unique way for us to celebrate. It is going to be a Steeden with a slight difference to celebrate we are playing two premiership games for the first time (in America).”
Walters and Leniu stepped onto the Allegiant Stadium surface to pass the rugby league ball as the NFL teams took part in their pre-game warm-up.
Standing on the field, Walters said the football was a nice touch.
“It’s a great design,” Walters said. “It wasn’t something I knew they were going to do. It looks pretty cool when you’re passing it. It’ll look good on the tele and for the fans in the stand.”
*Michael Carayannis has travelled to the US as a guest of the NRL
Originally published as NRL Las Vegas 2024: Inside the $6.5 billion Resorts World precinct
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