‘It’s just crazy’: Americans blown away by NRL in Las Vegas

It hasn’t taken long for Americans to be blown away by the NRL with the league hitting an “unprecedented” level in Las Vegas.

The NRL has reached an “unprecedented” audience in the United States as Sunday’s season-opener in Las Vegas dropped jaws across America.

The 50,000 crowd at Allegiant Stadium for the four-match blockbuster was going off when Raiders centre Seb Kris scored the first try of the season in a dominant opening half by Canberra.

Unlike 12 months ago, the American audience was able to watch the whole show.

It had been a complete shambles when the NRL’s Las Vegas gamble last year began with a disastrous broadcasting clash which saw the game bumped from Fox Sports’ premier channel in the USA.

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The start of the action last year had to be moved to cable channel Fox Sports 2 in the US because a college basketball game between Georgetown and Xavier went into overtime.

This time the action was on free-to-air TV in the USA — and it was clear the somewhat-clueless American audience liked what they saw.

Veteran NRL journalist Phil Rothfield of Code Sports said the move onto FS1 was “unprecedented” for the sport as it attempts to establish a small place in the American sporting market.

It has already made a mark in the United States with Rothfield telling Sky Sports Radio on Sunday that 15,000 of the expected crowd were by local fans based in the USA.

Nathan Cleary got Penrith’s premiership defence off to the perfect start. Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP.

There were plenty of Raiders fans at Allegiant Stadium.

The official crowd in Allegiant Stadium was 45,209 as rugby league put on a showcase to America.

Canberra outclassed the Warriors 30-8 to give Raiders fans hope they could be a chance of making finals this year.

The Australian Jillaroos destroyed England’s women team 90-4 in a demolition. The margin would have been more than 100 had Tarryn Aitken made a few more conversions.

In the last match of the day, Nathan Cleary’s Panthers beat Cronulla 28-22 in a gritty match.

The Sharks scored first and Penrith copped a blow when Casey McLean was ruled out of the game in the early stages with concussion.

A Cleary chip kick set up Izack Tago for a superb set play try and Daine Laurie sealed the victory for Penrith with a try in the 75th minute.

NRL Las Vegas results

Canberra Raiders 30 defeated NZ Warriors 8

Penrith Panthers 28 defeated Cronulla Sharks 22

Australian Jillaroos 90 defeated England 4

Wigan Warriors 48 defeated Warrington Wolves 24

The Jillaroos absolutely demolished England. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

American verdict on NRL’s Vegas week

The New York Post’s Mark Cannizzaro wrote: “As good as the “footy’’ was at Allegiant Field Saturday, the highlight of the week may have been the splashy fan fest the city put on Thursday night at Fremont Street in downtown Vegas, where some 10,000 revelers were treated to an electric red-carpet entrance by the teams, each of which gathered one-by-one on the stage and were feted.

“When the storylines were exhausted, the fans’ throats sore from singing and chanting and the long day’s matches into night was over, the same questions persisted as the NRL prepared to return to its everyday life on the other side of the world:

“— Are these annual visits going to lead to a more global rugby league audience, including piquing the interest of American sports fans who are very set in their sporting ways?

“— Or will this simply continue to be a cool week of pomp, circumstance and good times for those visitors to trek to Vegas for the show?

“The truth is, apart from the people of this area no one really knows this is going on,’’ Sean Rutgerson, the coach of the U.S. national rugby league team, which was visiting Vegas to experience the NRL week, told The Post.

“I’m hoping it’s going to build over the next five years and get bigger and better. Maybe more people will find out about it. But it’s a big country and there’s a lot of sports here, obviously.’’

“If the NRL keeps putting on the show it’s delivered the past two years, its Las Vegas week should live on. Viva Las Vegas. Long live NRL.”

Raiders players celebrate a try at Allegiant Stadium. Photo: Fox Sports.

In the earlier Super League curtain-raiser, Rothfield said the atmosphere had been “crazy” and described the noise level as “off the charts”.

NRL supremo Peter V’landys said during the half time break of the Raiders-Warriors game that the NRL was now “on the world map”.

“We are on the world stage and we have one man to thank for that, Lachlan Murdoch,” he said on Fox League.

“Without Lachlan Murdoch putting this on Fox Sports 1, we wouldn’t be having the success we have. I can’t say enough about what he’s done and what he’s done for Australian rugby league.

“He’s put it on the world map. We’re in every country now. We’re in France, we’re in England and right around America. We’re in free-to-air in America — probably the biggest audience we could ever have in the United States.”

Earlier this week, V’landys and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo were presented with the keys to the city this week from Clark County (NV) Commissioner Chairman Tick Segerblom.

Fox League commentator Andrew Voss said the momentum created from starting the season in Vegas was invaluable to the NRL.

Ethan Strange of the Raiders runs the ball at Allegiant Stadium. Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/AFP.

“It’s just incredible what they’re pulling off,” Voss told news.com.au.

“They’ve got big balls, the NRL. They are having a real crack in a market which is just flooded. There is so much on but rugby league has a place.

“In terms of exposure and the vibe, there is no doubt Vegas has this halo effect for the game.

“It’s now being experienced in the UK. Two rounds into the Super League season, suddenly you’re having sellouts. It’s because Vegas was coming. They’ve got prime time coverage of Wigan vs Warrington.

“There’s no doubt people are full on into rugby league earlier in the season because of Vegas. It is a countdown to Vegas.

“Fox League’s pre-season games have never had bigger ratings. People are watching rugby league and it’s still summer.”

Fox Sports have invested heavily in the NRL’s Las Vegas move, which is in the second of a five-year deal.

Fox League’s Yvonne Sampson told news.com.au the NRL is already making inroads with American locals.

“Last year, everyone said, ‘Oh you’re here for the rugby’, whereas this year they’re saying, ‘Oh the rugby league’,” Sampson said.

“The extra ‘league’ tells us the message has got through. We’re the rugby league, they know the difference now. I think slowly the interest is growing.”

Excited fans at the NRL Fan Event held at Fremont Street Experience in Downtown Las Vegas. Picture: Jonathan Ng

A Raiders fan loving life. Picture: Jonathan Ng

A Sharks fan at the fan event in Las Vegas. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Fox League NRL 360 host and former Roosters captain Braith Anasta added: “This has been such an enjoyable experience trying to explain and sell the game of Rugby League to various media outlets around the US.

“We had some very funny conversations making comparisons to the NFL and other codes. They might not understand the rules of NRL just yet but they loved our passion and hopefully that translates into some new fans watching tomorrow.”

Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany said during the week: “We’re less than 24 hours out from the games and we’ve been spruiking the religion of Rugby League far and wide across all corners of the United States as part of a press blitz to support the league.

“It was extraordinary to see the field rolled in and posts go up during these live interviews at Allegiant Stadium. American viewers got a little taste today and no doubt they will be blown away by what they see tomorrow.”