Sport Confidential: NRL’s mega Las Vegas plan for US President Joe Biden
The NRL has big plans for US President Joe Biden as the countdown continues for the Las Vegas extravaganza next March.
The NRL hopes US President Joe Biden will be available to attend the NRL’s historic double header in Las Vegas next March after meeting ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the hard work of V’landys in the wake of the duo’s visit to the White House last week.
V’landys was humbled to meet Biden at the invitation of Albanese, who flew to Washington to attend a state dinner.
The NRL has big plans for Biden as the countdown continues for the Vegas extravaganza next March, when the Broncos, Roosters, Manly and South Sydney kick-off the 2024 premiership at Allegiant Stadium.
Albanese said V’landys made an instant connection with Biden as the pair discussed the NRL’s ambitious incursion into the American market.
“It was an incredible trip,” Albanese said.
“It was great to have Peter along, too. I made sure he got a good moment to talk with Joe.
“To go to the White House was fantastic and a great honour to represent Australia there for a kid like myself who grew up in Camperdown.
“When I introduced Peter to Joe, I mentioned the NRL games in March next year to begin the competition will be held in the US.
“It’s a big deal.”
An NRL delegation is returning to the US this month to ramp-up promotions for the code’s Sin City sortie.
The NRL is committed to playing games in Vegas until 2028.
V’landys believes the NRL can be a smash hit in America for a decade and more as League Central prepares to release a promotional ad campaign for Vegas.
“I am confident it will be longer than that, we have set ourselves five years and if the results aren’t there in five, we will reassess, but I know we have the best game,” V’landys said.
“There is no game like rugby league. It’s got everything.”
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NRL’S OFFER TO US PRESIDENT
The Titans will not only have to move mountains to get Kangaroos star Ben Hunt to the Gold Coast.
Coach Des Hasler will also have to find a way to move a player to accommodate the Dragons playmaker.
Hunt has long been tipped with a move to the Gold Coast after becoming disgruntled with the plight of St George-Illawarra.
New Dragons coach Shane Flanagan has already rejected a release request from Hunt and the saga has appeared to die down in recent months.
However the Titans desperately need a playmaker of Hunt’s quality to make them a premiership contender and it’s hard to see them knocking him back if he becomes available.
But there is a major hurdle in the way of Hunt moving to the Gold Coast.
The Titans have already exhausted their top 30 squad and six development players allowed for the 2024 NRL season.
That means Hasler would have to convince a contracted player to leave the club to accommodate Hunt.
Despite speculation linking him to the exits, Hasler has informed incumbent halfback Tanah Boyd he is wanted at the Titans.
The likes of top-30 squad members Treymain Spry, Ken Maumalo and Ryan Foran didn’t feature in the NRL last year.
SACRIFICE TO SAVE NUCLEUS
Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice by taking a pay cut to prevent an exodus of Brisbane’s rising superstars.
Reynolds’ management is in talks with Brisbane bosses on a 12-month extension that would see the champion halfback put retirement on the backburner and play on for the Broncos in 2025.
The dilemma for the Broncos is that Reynolds - who became a free agent on Wednesday - was initially expected to retire at the end of next year.
Factor in the brilliant emergence of backline sensations Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam, who are both due for major upgrades over the next 12 to 18 months, and the Broncos have to be clever with their salary-cap management.
Fortunately, Reynolds is a pragmatist. His team-first attitude is determined to keep Brisbane’s grand-final squad from falling apart as they look to finally snap a title drought now spanning 18 seasons.
Reynolds’ current three-year deal, which expires next season, is worth $800,000 annually. Sport Confidential understands the 33-year-old may have to take a slight hair cut financially to help the Broncos fund a combined $5 million upgrade to retain Walsh and Mam.
Reynolds has forged a close bond with Walsh and Mam and accepts the dynamic duo are the future of the club.
Walsh, contracted until the end of 2025, was on $400,000 this season and his salary is set to more than double, while Mam’s current deal of around $250,000 is set to triple in value.
Mam, off-contract next season, is officially a free agent, but will ink a minimum three-year extension with the Broncos worth in excess of $2 million.
The Broncos have big plans for Reynolds, who is tipped to move into a coaching-and-development role at Brisbane when he decides to hang up the boots.
Under NRL salary cap rules, Brisbane would be permitted to have a portion of Reynolds’ salary not counted in the cap in his final year if the skipper transitions into post-career employment at the club.
That gives the Broncos more latitude in their salary cap and Reynolds’ manager Steve Gillis confirmed the halfback will play on at Brisbane beyond his 35th birthday in 2025.
“There’s no rush (on a new deal),” Gillis said.
“I envisage we will probably try and get it (an extension) tidied up before the season starts next year.
“Adam is having some family time at the moment.
“He’s happy at the Broncos and won’t be going anywhere else, so we’ll get the deal done in time.”
Reynolds told News Corp earlier this season of his desire to move into a coaching role at the Broncos.
“I know Adam is very settled there and that’s the plan - for him to find another role at the club,” Gillis said.
“He loves Brisbane and his partner and kids are settled.
“’Reyno’ has a great football brain, he could be anything. He is very good with the young guys, he is a very unique character. He knows the game so well, so there is definitely life after footy for him in rugby league.
“Where he wants to take that is up to him.”
Broncos boss Dave Donaghy scoffed at suggestions Brisbane could run into salary-cap problems.
“We have a really clear plan with our roster,” he said.
“From the moment he arrived, ‘Reyno’ has been an outstanding leader and member of our club, he has exceeded all of our expectations and he’s a professional in the way he manages his body.
“It’s no secret we’re talking to his management about 2025 – halfbacks of his quality are hard to come by, so we’ll be doing what we can to ensure he’s here. His leadership has been outstanding for our young guys – Reece and Ezra included – they have a really close-knit relationship and he’ll be playing a big role when the time is right in transitioning the stewardship of the team to them.”
OATES NOT ROLLED YET
Finally, Corey Oates has secured his NRL future at the Broncos.
The former Queensland Origin winger has ended 12 months of uncertainty by agreeing terms on a one-year to remain at Red Hill in 2024.
There were fears Oates could go into the 2024 pre-season without being paid - or be resigned to leaving the Broncos - if his management couldn’t strike a deal with Brisbane bosses.
But the 29-year-old has clinched a one-year deal, albeit at a reduced salary as Oates faces a battle to oust wing rival Jesse Arthars for a spot on his favoured left flank.
Oates is no stranger to short-term deals and after an injury-riddled 2023 season, the veteran of 201 NRL games needs a bumper 2024 campaign in his dream to finish as a Bronco for life.
VEGAS SAFETY CONCERNS
The NRL will take drastic measures to ensure player safety at next year’s Las Vegas spectacle.
It has been well documented that the playing surface at the $3 billion Allegiant Stadium is significantly smaller than a standard rugby league field.
The distance from tryline to tryline will be 96m instead of 100m, but the biggest problem is the width of the field.
Five metres will be lost from the standard 68m league dimensions, potentially making it more difficult to attack given the reduced lateral space.
An NFL field is only 49m wide, meaning the NRL is using as much of the sideline space as possible to get the field to 63m.
That means the NRL will have to use padding along the entirety of the field’s fencing to protect players from crashing into the grandstand.
‘MILF’ ON A MISSION
Dolphins playmaker Anthony Milford is fighting to save his NRL career after a candid chat with super coach Wayne Bennett.
Milford was recently offered a three-year deal to finish his career in the English Super League and the Dolphins were happy to sign off on an early release for the 29-year-old, who is contracted until the end of 2024.
But Milford rejected the move abroad for family reasons, with his partner and young children happily settled in Queensland.
The decision has put Milford on a collision course with Bennett, his former coach at the Broncos.
Six years ago, Milford was one of the superstars of the code. He signed the first ever $1 million deal in Broncos history in 2017, but since that time, Milford has struggled with injuries and erratic form, prompting the Broncos to cut him two years ago.
Milford was thrown a lifeline by Bennett last season, but his maiden campaign at the Dolphins was largely a write-off, with injuries restricting him to just 11 games.
There is a view Milford is finished as a top-quality NRL playmaker, prompting Bennett to make it clear the Samoan Test star has arrived at the last-chance saloon.
Bennett has given Milford clear guidelines on what needs to be done to win another deal at the Dolphins and if ‘Milf’ doesn’t deliver in 2024, he will be shown the door by Brisbane’s expansion rivals.
MAM’S NEW SNAKE
We recently told you about one of Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam’s pet pythons going missing after the NRL grand final.
Mam accidentally left the enclosure open and the snake escaped, taking refuge somewhere in his Ipswich house.
After weeks of searching Mam couldn’t find the snake, which had presumably taken residence in his ceiling.
The eccentric Broncos playmaker has since purchased another snake to replace it.
POLAR BEAR HITS NOOSA
Former Queensland Origin prop Ben Hannant’s sporting commitment is admirable.
Just a month ago, Hannant showed great bravery jumping into the ring with Eels monster Junior Paulo, who duly clobbered the 38-year-old, sending the ‘Polar Bear’ into boxing retirement.
But Hannant isn’t finished there. The NRL legend is suiting up again to take part in the Noosa Triathlon this Sunday on the Sunshine Coast.
Hannant has previously won the Noosa Triathlon in the Clydesdales division for males over 100kg and given his mental toughness and good motor for a big man, the Polar Bear will be eyeing top spot again.
Hannant will be joined in the big boppers division by Triple M rugby league caller and Channel 9’s NRL reporter Ben Dobbin, who has vowed to fly past the Polar Bear on the bike leg.
CHEAP TEST TICKETS
Kiwi footy fans can get cheap tickets to see the New Zealand Test team in action this weekend.
Ticketek is offering a 25 per cent discount on gold and silver tickets to the Kiwis-Kangaroos final of the Pacific Championships in Hamilton on Saturday.
The New Zealand Rugby League emailed footy fans on Tuesday with the offer if they enter the code “NZRL25” when purchasing tickets online.
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