NRL rolls out Las Vegas red carpet for Lachlan Murdoch and hopes Tom Brady comes with him

News Corp chair Lachlan Murdoch will be the guest of honour at the NRL’s season-opening double-header in Las Vegas — and officials are banking on him dragging along NFL legend Tom Brady as his plus one.

Apart from being a diehard Brisbane Broncos fan, Murdoch is a close friend of ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys, who is rolling out the red carpet for News’ top brass, including chief executive Robert Thomson and Foxtel Australia boss Patrick Delany.

A News spokesman insisted Murdoch had not invited Brady, but the NRL certainly hopes he can convince the legendary quarterback to come along.

Seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady will join NFL on Fox next season as their No.1 analyst on a 10-year deal reportedly worth $US375 million ($570 million).

He’s been in Australia this week on a speaking tour, including an event in Brisbane attended by Broncos players. His thunderbolt pass from the stage to fullback Reece Walsh on the run has gone viral.

After being in BrisVegas, it won’t surprise if Brady pops up in the VIP suite at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on March 3 (AEDT) when the Broncos play the Roosters and Souths take on Manly.

Tom Brady would make an impressive plus-one for Lachlan Murdoch at the NRL’s double-header in Las Vegas. Credit: AP, Getty Images

The NRL has struggled to attract any real celebrities to the double-header so far, including Rabbitohs co-owner Russell Crowe (who will be shooting a movie in Europe) and Sea Eagles superfan Hugh Jackman (who is unavailable).

Expect Crowe, though, to channel Maximus when voicing the NRL’s marketing campaign when it launches in the US in the coming days.

It’s no surprise that V’landys wants News’ most important people on hand to witness the historic event given his long-standing relationship with the media company.

Fox Sports 1 will broadcast the matches in the US while the NRL has given Fox Sports Australia exclusive rights to the first game between Manly and Souths.

The NRL’s attempt to gain a foothold in the US in 2024 is not the first.Credit: NRL Photos

In doing so, the NRL has angered free-to-air broadcaster Channel Nine (publisher of this masthead), which will simulcast the second game with Fox Sports.

The NRL argues it’s created an additional round to the home-and-away season, therefore giving Nine an additional match.

Nevertheless, handing Fox exclusive rights to the first game of the season has created tension between the NRL and its long-time broadcast partner. We can only imagine how some fans will react on the day when they plop down on the beanbag for the season opener only to discover it’s behind a paywall.

Nine Entertainment Co chief executive Mike Sneesby has been invited to the double-header and will attend, a spokeswoman confirmed.

Last week, this column broke the news that the four participating clubs had demanded an urgent meeting with the NRL about concerns around visas, training fields, medical insurance, and rising costs.

The clubs met with V’landys last Thursday and then, on Monday morning, were pleasantly surprised to receive an avalanche of emails from NRL staff addressing their concerns.

Both Murdoch and V’landys declined to comment.

Jack’s back on rep scene

South Sydney recruit Jack Wighton is poised to come out of representative retirement — just a year after he went into representative retirement.

If he does play for NSW this year, it will only further the belief that he has his nose out of joint with now-departed Blues coach Brad Fittler, who dropped Wighton for the deciding match of the 2022 series.

What isn’t commonly known is that Wighton contemplated representing Australia at the end of last season. He was among the Kangaroos’ best when they won the 2022 World Cup and thrived under coach Mal Meninga.

One can only speculate Meninga didn’t pick him out of respect to Fittler. (Personally, I’d have Wighton in every side for which he’s eligible).

The Kangaroos’ 30-0 loss to New Zealand in the Pacific Cup final in Hamilton last November devastated Meninga. He took it personally.

Wayne Bennett and Mal Meninga will be rivals once again.Credit: Getty

Now, he faces the possibility of exacting revenge against a Kiwis side coached by his former Queensland Police Academy coach Wayne Bennett, who has applied for the role vacated by Michael Maguire.

Bennett comes off contract with the Dolphins at the end of this season, but it will only be a matter of months before he’s linked to a new club.

If Brad Arthur doesn’t get Parramatta going, or Jason Demetriou similarly struggles at Souths, expect the 74-year-old’s name to make its way into the news cycle - like it magically does every time he’s coming off contract.

How many clubs, though, would be content with Bennett juggling a national coaching role in his first season? Not many, if any.

Wayne Bennett and the Kiwis in 2008.Credit: Getty

Bennett, of course, has been involved with the Kiwis before, having been an advisor to Stephen Kearney at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.

As the team bus made its way towards Suncorp Stadium for the final against the Kangaroos, Bennett grabbed the microphone and rattled off a pre-match speech he modestly describes as “one of my best”. New Zealand won the match, although the result had more to do with Billy Slater’s wayward inside pass that handed them victory on a platter.

Should Bennett get the job, an intriguing showdown with Meninga looms, presumably at the end of this year although no international fixtures are — inexplicably — in place.

They’ve got some history.

Bennett threw his toys out of the cot when Meninga was given the Australian job ahead of him in 2016, but they patched it up when he brought Meninga onto his Queensland coaching staff for the 2020 State of Origin series.

Simmons and Giddey. Can it work?

Ben Simmons — the Nick Kyrgios of Australian basketball — gave Boomers coach Brian Goorjian something to think about in his stunning return to the NBA after three months on the sidelines with injury.

Simmons notched 10 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists in just 18 minutes for the Brooklyn Nets in their 147-114 win against the Utah Jazz.

Sure, he was sidelined with a knee injury for Thursday’s (AEDT) match against Phoenix, but the performance against the Jazz was a promising return for the 27-year-old riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

His display immediately raised questions about whether he should be picked for the Boomers for the Paris Olympics, which start in late July.

Simmons indicated last year he wanted to represent his country again, but we’ll believe it when we see it given how many times he hasn’t followed through on his promise. He last played for Australia in 2013.

As retired Boomer Andrew Bogut so eloquently put it last year: “If you’re going to tease it, don’t continuously pull out.”

You suspect the issue for Goorjian is how he fits Simmons and Josh Giddey into the same team and how they would play.

Ben Simmons came just shy of a triple-double on return.Credit: Getty Images

Would Simmons be prepared to play off the bench as Giddey starts? Unlikely. Would he be prepared to let Giddey do most of the ball handling at point guard? Probably not.

But the Boomers are a far better medal prospect with both in the team so … good luck sorting out riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, Brian.

THE QUOTE

“We are just an event that’s happening on Anzac Day, like the rugby league.” — Music promoter Andrew McManus after Premier Chris Minns ditched a concert at the Domain featuring Alice Cooper and Blondie. Incorrect: the traditional match between the Roosters and Dragons at Allianz Stadium is held in collaboration with RSL NSW, commemorates the men and women who served, parades them around the ground before kick-off, then plays a stirring rendition of The Last Post.

THUMBS UP

All-rounder Mitchell Marsh completed the comeback of all comebacks when he was named the Allan Border Medallist on Wednesday night, paying tribute to Pat Cummins and Andrew McDonald: “I’m a bit fat at times and I love a beer, but you see the best in me always, and you’ve changed my life — playing under you is an absolute dream.”

THUMBS DOWN

The West Indies’ thrilling eight-run victory against Australia at the Gabba was a beautiful moment. Not for everyone, though. Former keeper Tim Paine whinged about Adam Gilchrist being too jubilant in commentary for Fox while another former keeper, Ian Healy, lined up Cummins for being too glowing in his praise of the tourists. Sheesh.

It’s a big weekend for … weary cricket fans as the first of three one-day matches against the Windies kicks off at the MCG on Friday. It’s a good chance for Marnus Labuschagne to find some form ahead of the Test series against New Zealand. Question: how much cricket is enough?

It’s an even bigger weekend for … the Socceroos, who are, according to the good judges, playing ugly football yet still find themselves up to their eyeballs in this Asian Cup. They play South Korea in the quarter-finals in Qatar in the wee small hours of Saturday morning (AEDT). Stay up late or get up early but, either way, just get around them. Thank you.

Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.