NFL facilities blow minds of NRL stars in the US for Denver Test
THE build-up for the Denver Test is in full swing but for New Zealand players it was a tour of the NFL’s Denver Broncos facilities that truly blew their minds.
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THE build-up for the Denver Test is in full swing with New Zealand and England both sampling the best of American sports ahead of Sunday’s (AEST) historic clash at Mile High stadium.
New Zealand enjoyed a gym session at the home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos with players and coaches alike stunned by the resources available to the three-time Super Bowl champions.
“We rocked up and we were amazed. But once we went through the facilities? You can’t even describe what we saw,” said Kiwi prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
“To go through a facility or an organisation like that, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“We’ve been a through a couple of soccer, football clubs in the past, but that today was next level.”
Manly firebrand Martin Taupau, who toyed with the idea of giving American football a crack in the past, was similarly awed by the Broncos multimillion-dollar facility.
‘They’re light years ahead. Its ridiculous, the facilities they have. It’s crazy. Their gym building itself is almost half the size of the stadium,” Taupau said.
“You’ve got gym racks for days, weights that just go on forever. Everything you need to be a successful team, it’s there, they’ve got it.”
New Kiwis coach Michael Maguire had visited several NFL teams in the past, but believed the prestige of the Broncos, who collected their third Super Bowl title in 2016, made it an even better experience for his squad.
“I’ve been fortunate to go around to quite a number of NFL teams they’re big, but I think the Denver Broncos are quite a historic club as well with what they’ve achieved in the NFL,” Maguire said.
“I think that played its part, the players knew a bit about it and they knew the name Denver Broncos and that it’d been up in the lights. They saw all the trophies.
“Von Miller, he’s on $22 million or something, and all the boys were crowded around just to have look at his locker.
“It just goes to show they’re little kids underneath and we’re excited about those sorts of things.”
While New Zealand were living out their NFL dreams, England went down to Coors Field to take in batting practice with the New York Mets and Colorado Rockies.
Judging from some of the swings on offer, Wayne Bennett’s side would be wise to stick to footy.