Vegas veteran Colin ‘Funky’ Miller warns NRL players about perils of Sin City

Colin ‘Funky’ Miller reckons there is an incident every night in Las Vegas hotel rooms. This is why it happens, and how NRL players can steer clear.

09/07/2001. The Ashes tour. Colin "Funky" Miller dyes his hair red this evening in his hotel room in Birmingham.

Keep your money in your pocket and remember you didn’t suddenly get better looking after midnight.

This is the advice from colourful former Australian Test cricketer Colin Miller to the four Australian rugby league clubs en route to the historic season opening in Las Vegas next week.

Miller, who has spent most of the past two decades working in the hotel industry in Las Vegas, believes Las Vegas police chief Kendall Bell was not overstating the pitfalls of Sin City when he warned the players about potential extortion attempts from local sex workers.

“I would say there is one incident like that per night in a hotel in Las Vegas – someone getting robbed,’’ Miller said.

“My advice would be if you are in a bar at 3am and you are approached by a beautiful lady just remember you didn’t suddenly get handsome. No one gets better looking after midnight.

“I saw the advice from the police chief gave the players about trying to avoid situations like that and felt it was pretty spot on.’’

Colin Miller and his wife Cindy at the Grammy Awards in 2020. Pic: Instagram

Miller feels rugby league officials need to be realistic about their crowd expectations for the two matches played at Allegiant Stadium, the venue which hosted last week’s Super Bowl.

“It’s a 65,000 seat stadium. I think if they got 30-35,000 they should be very happy with that. I mean how many games in Australia get that number?

“I have not seen much publicity for the rugby (league) games. But 50,000 million people come to Vegas every year and there are 5000 hotel rooms on the strip so people are always looking for something to do. It might be a game of rugby (league).

“I am definitely going to go. I am not a rugby league man but I know a lot of people coming over.

“Having the Super Bowl here got in their road publicity wise but that’s for only this year. When they came back over the next few years it will be different.

Former Australian Test star Colin Miller.

“Some tickets for the Super Bowl were $10,000. They are $19 to the rugby league. Some rooms in town were $2700 during the Super Bowl. Now they are normal rates. That will help.

“This city has been all about Super Boxing for six months. There was Formula One in November then all anyone had talked about since then was Super Bowl.’’

Miller said the NRL’s decision to try and recruit players from American football could well unearth some worthy talent.

“If I was recruited I would go to college football and get the kids who don’t make it. Running backs and wide receivers. That could work.

“Rugby (league) will have the same challenges cricket has over here as it tries to crack the market. Just getting people to watch and understand the game is hard.’’

Originally published as Vegas veteran Colin ‘Funky’ Miller warns NRL players about perils of Sin City