NRL 2024: Dolphins emerge as favourites to clinch a Las Vegas slot for 2025 season opener
The Dolphins have emerged as favourites alongside Penrith to clinch a slot for the NRL’s 2025 season launch in Las Vegas, with their Queensland rivals pulling out of the race.
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The Dolphins have formally applied to play in Las Vegas next season as the Redcliffe $100 million franchise and premiers Penrith emerge as favourites to headline the NRL’s return to Sin City.
This masthead can reveal the Cowboys have withdrawn interest, while the Broncos and Titans did not lodge submissions – putting the Dolphins in the box seat to represent Queensland for NRL Vegas 2025.
Vegas submissions closed last Friday week.
The NRL has not finalised its 2025 quartet, but it is understood Penrith, Melbourne and expansion outfit the Dolphins are three frontrunners to secure a berth for the second instalment of the NRL double header at Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium next year.
The NRL is keen to have a Queensland flavour annually for their five-year Vegas venture. Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins did their chances no harm with an epic 44-16 drubbing of the Eels in Darwin on Friday night.
The Cowboys were initially slated as Queensland’s representative to succeed Sin City pioneers the Broncos, but their shock withdrawal has opened the door for the Dolphins to get a taste of Vegas.
With Bennett finishing up as head coach at season’s end, his assistant Kristian Woolf could make his NRL premiership debut on March 1 next year at the 65,000-capacity Allegiant Stadium.
Dolphins chief executive Terry Reader travelled to Las Vegas six weeks ago to conduct due diligence on Queensland’s fourth club representing the NRL on American soil next year.
The trip convinced the Dolphins to lodge a formal entry and Reader said the Redcliffe-based operation would relish ‘Coming to America’ – pending the NRL meeting some key travel and logistical requirements.
“We are interested,” Reader said.
“We have sent the information the NRL asked for by the due date.
“Our interest is, of course, based on the assumption that the terms and conditions from the NRL to participate will be sufficient to ensure the Dolphins are not worse off for participating, both financially and around our footy program.
“We are still yet to see any of that detail from the NRL in the process so far.
“The Dolphins have already shown that we are willing to take matches to expanding markets by playing a match in Perth last year and again this year.”
The inclusion of the Dolphins would be a major feather in their cap given the fledgling franchise will be only three years old entering the 2025 season.
The NRL’s 17th team is not afraid of travel. The Dolphins played the Eels in Darwin on Friday night and it’s understood Redcliffe are open to transferring a home game to Vegas – aiding their prospects of being chosen by the NRL.
The Dolphins’ hopes have been further boosted by the scratching of the Cowboys, who have now set their sights on travelling to Vegas in 2026.
“We were keen to go but we’ve decided not to put in a submission,” Cowboys boss Jeff Reibel said.
“I called the NRL and explained the reasoning from our perspective.
“I want to make it clear we are totally supportive of the NRL’s strategy for Vegas.
“We are certainly keen to go in 2026, so the next 12 months will give us a longer runway to work with our commercial partners to ensure that when we do eventually go to Vegas, it will benefit all our stakeholders.
“I was over there this year and there’s no doubt it was a wonderful experience. My feedback to our board was we needed to be part of this, but we also need to be prepared for it, because going to Vegas does come with a lot of logistical planning.
“I really hope the concept is here to stay and we’re hoping the NRL has the Cowboys part of Vegas in 2026.”
The Panthers are raging favourites to be the next Sydney team to head to Vegas.
The three-time premiers’ headquarters, BlueBet Stadium, will undergo a $309 million facelift next season, so it makes sense for Penrith to take a home game to Allegiant Stadium.
Craig Bellamy’s Storm are another leading contender given their status as the most consistent NRL team of the past 20 years.
Warriors boss Cameron George confirmed the New Zealand outfit has also applied to fly the NRL flag in Sin City next year.
“We lodged our expression of interest last week, so it’s now in the hands of the NRL,” he said.
“We can only be an ‘away’ team, so that may suit the NRL, I’m not sure.
“The NRL have already had Sydney clubs go this year and a team like Penrith may go next year, but we can bring plane loads of people from a whole new market in New Zealand.
“I know there’s a healthy Pacific Islander community in Las Vegas and surrounding areas of America.
“We would certainly bring a big fan base to the opportunity. We would love to be a part of it, but if not, then hopefully we are there for year three.”
Originally published as NRL 2024: Dolphins emerge as favourites to clinch a Las Vegas slot for 2025 season opener
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