NFL star thrown out of Allegiant Stadium after blowing Viking Horn during NRL opener

The NRL’s Las Vegas extravaganza has ended in ugly scenes with the man who kickstarted the festivities evicted over a bathroom incident.

NFL player Tyler Manoa was reportedly removed from Allegiant Stadium in the middle of the NRL season opener.

The Las Vegas Raiders defensive lineman took centre stage for the Canberra Raiders as he blew the Viking horn ahead of their clash against the New Zealand Warriors.

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But as the contest got underway, Manoa was allegedly kicked out of the stadium over a bathroom incident, according to Code Sports.

Tyler Manoa blows the Viking horn ahead of the Raiders game. Credit: Fox Sports

The 25-year-old NFL rookie is alleged to have damaged property inside the restrooms and was then removed from the stadium.

His removal meant he was a no show to be in the Raiders rooms following their 30-8 victory over the Warriors.

Manoa wasn’t the NRL’s first choice to blow the viking horn, with the league originally hoping UFC boss Dana White would get the festivites underway.

White however knocked back the invitation due to a prior commitment with the Las Vegas Raiders then electing to put Manoa forward for the honour.

Having joined the Raiders practice squad last season following his collegiate career, Manoa has yet to take part in an NFL game.

He was said to have been chosen partly because of his rugby background and Pasifika heritage.

The incident was a blight on the NRL’s Las Vegas blockbuster, but it didn’t hamper the league reaching an “unprecedented” audience in the United States.

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.

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.

It wasn’t just Aussies in the stands at Allegiant Stadium. Picture: NRL Photos

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.”

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

Originally published as NFL star thrown out of Allegiant Stadium after blowing Viking Horn during NRL opener