Las Vegas Buzz: Roosters-Broncos booked on same flight; Phil Rothfield’s highlights and lowlights

The growing Roosters-Broncos feud has taken another awkward turn with both teams sharing a flight following a series of explosive encounters.

First they were on the same hotel floor, and then they were on the same flight.

The NRL was left with another headache in the fallout of the Spencer Leniu-Ezra Mam alleged racism row after both the Sydney Roosters and Brisbane Broncos were booked on the same flight out of Las Vegas.

The NRL match review committee on Monday charged Roosters prop Leniu with contrary conduct over allegations he used a racial slur against Broncos five-eighth Mam.

The situation escalated in the early hours of Sunday morning (local time) when Leniu confronted Mam and his Broncos teammates in the corridor of the Hilton Hotel, where the teams were staying just 20 metres from one another.

If that wasn’t bad enough, both teams had then been booked on United Airlines flight 2142 to San Francisco, before heading for connecting flights to Sydney and Brisbane respectively.

The NRL, wanting to avoid further incident, ensured the two teams were well separated when seating allocations were handed down for the 1hr 45min flight.

They left their hotel in Resorts World on separate buses and even at staggered times. The Broncos filed out of their hotel rooms about an hour before the Roosters to avoid the teams running into each other again before arriving at Las Vegas Airport.

BUZZ’S LAS VEGAS HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS

HIGHLIGHT

The most magnificent buffet in the Wynn Field Room where tomahawk steaks, salmon, sushi, shrimp tacos, hot dogs and fine wines were served to a who’s who of celebrities, media executives, entertainment figures and the most influential businessmen and women from Australia. And your columnist. Sure beats the Shark Park party pies.

LOWLIGHT

The full time siren on one of the most extraordinary weeks in rugby league history.

Official crowd in Vegas 40,746. Great result for the NRL.

— Pete Badel (@badel_cmail) March 3, 2024

SHOOSH

Which NRL club chief executive was bagging independent commissioners for being allowed to walk onto the field before the game to soak up the atmosphere.

SHOOSH

Which NRL club is currently in talks with a Wallaby who played in last year’s World Cup. It’s potentially a huge story.

SHOOSH

Which NRL club chief executive who has been here in Las Vegas is facing the axe at his Sydney based club, possibly within the next couple of weeks.

SHOOSH

Cronulla chairman Steve Mace is the latest senior club official to indicate he wants to bring the Sharks to Las Vegas next year.

SHOOSH

Rugby union was the biggest loser. With U.S. college basketball going into overtime on FSI, the first 17 minutes of Souths v Manly was moved to FS2. This then forced the rah rahs off TV altogether and onto the Fox App.

SPOTTED

So many Aussies are here on fact finding missions, not just for the footy. That includes a couple of bigwigs from the Venues NSW team that runs all of Sydney’s major stadiums. SCG curator Adam Lewis and turf king Graeme Colless have been checking out the Allegiant surface and how the turf field slides in for each game.

360 VIEW

Catch you Monday night on NRL 360 with Braith Anasta, Paul Kent, Gorden Tallis and James Hooper at 6.30pm on Fox League from the final wash-up on the most memorable Las Vegas experience and throwing forward to six big games starting from Thursday night.

LAS VEGAS BLOCKBUSTERS THE MAIN COURSE

It doesn’t get any better than this.

Las Vegas got a taste of rugby league … and, my god, didn’t they love it.

We’ve had Magic Round in Brisbane. Suncorp Stadium. Caxton Street on steroids. 52,000 sellouts.

The launch of Origin back in 1980. Arthur Beetson leading QLD onto the old Lang Park and then belting his Parramatta teammate Mick Cronin.

Full houses in AFL states at the MCG, Optus Stadium and Adelaide Oval for State of Origin.

So many great initiatives along a road to Las Vegas boulevard.

This has topped them all. It seriously has. And it’s only the beginning.

It will grow, and grow and grow. Next year, the year after and the year after.

From the moment Daly Cherry kicked off we had a whole new audience, although American viewers on Fox missed the first 17 minutes because of overtime in the local college basketball game.

An audience used to speed, skill, power but with padding and helmets.

I bumped into an American in the crowd: “Man, these guys are crazy.”

And another local: “Wow, how tough are these dudes.”

And Zay Jones, the Jacksonville wide receiver, said: “Rugby league is such a thrill. It’s an intense sport that I’ve gained a lot of respect for. Fans bring great energy and I enjoyed the environment.”

Reuben Garrick celebrates NFL-style at Allegiant Stadium. Picture: NRL Photos/Grant Trouville

And to think our game was on its knees four years ago. Almost broke during Covid and with the financial future of a couple of Sydney clubs looking so shaky.

As you look out over this great stadium and the atmosphere, the memories wind back to the tough old 80s and 90s.

How we lost the poor old Magpies, the Newtown Jets and the North Sydney Bears.

How they couldn’t survive on first-try scorer doubles and canteen takings on game days.

We’ve come such a long way from busted Sydney clubs to Sin City.

SCROLL DOWN FOR BUZZ’S LAS VEGAS HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS

The four owners and bosses of these clubs are among the world’s wealthiest and most influential business heavyweights.

Lachlan Murdoch and his Broncos, James Packer, Russell Crowe and Mike Cannon Brookes with their Rabbitohs, the Penn family and, of course, Nick Politis, the multi-billionaire chairman of the Roosters.

Special day pic.twitter.com/KjWTjO0H3B

— BUZZ ROTHFIELD (@BuzzRothfield) March 3, 2024

No-one is going broke anytime soon.

So much credit goes to Andrew Abdo, Peter V’landys and the Broncos, Manly, the Roosters and the Rabbitohs who so enthusiastically promoted this wonderful occasion.

The heavyweights of corporate Australia were here and talking it up in the Wynn Field Room.

Business leader Tony Shepherd: “This is Australia having a go on the world stage rather than sitting at home talking about how great we are.”

David Gallop, NSW Stadiums boss and former NRL CEO: “Only rugby league has fans from all walks of life who love the sport so much they’ll travel halfway around the world in such huge numbers to watch their teams. It’s fantastic.”

It was a day the scoreboard didn’t really matter.

Everyone did their job. The refs kept penalties to a minimum.

No rule crackdowns in the town.

Thousands of travelling Australian fans packed Allegiant Stadium. Picture: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Pre-game concern around the size of the field proved unfounded.

We had 16 tries on the day and a combined 90 points.

The stars all showed up. For Souths Latrell Mitchell might have been on the losing side but threw a pass to Jacob Gagai for a try that would have done Patrick Mahomes proud.

And then powered himself over like a Travis Kelcie for his own try.

But Manly were too strong and too slick.

Tom Turbo ran like Jerry Rice and Daly Cherry Evans steered like Tom Brady. Well, almost.

Afterwards Peter V’landys told colleague Dean “Bulldog” Ritchie: “This is my greatest achievement.”

Now that’s saying something from a man who saved rugby league during Covid, introduced the Everest at Randwick, made the rule changes to make the greatest game even greater and has constantly driven change as a sporting visionary.

This was the day rugby league reached its own Everest.

Phil Rothfield travelled to Las Vegas courtesy of the NRL

Originally published as Las Vegas Buzz: Roosters-Broncos booked on same flight; Phil Rothfield’s highlights and lowlights