Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo is standing on the sidelines here at Allegiant Stadium, surrounded by a media scrum, when somebody asks whether a Matty Burton bomb could reach this roof?
After all, it was only two days earlier the Bulldogs No.6 had punted a Steeden up and into the rafters of that $190M Las Vegas Raiders training facility.
But here inside the Death Star?
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“Ah,” the coach grinned, looking up toward the roof, “I reckon he can hit one of the speakers up there…”
Reckon you could ask him to have a crack?
“Nah, nah, nah,” the coach cackled. “He’s got that hammy to worry about,
“He’ll just lay low today.”
Apparently though, no one told Burto.
Who only moments later launched one of those now signature aerial assaults …. aaaaaand … only just missed one of those speakers hanging down.
“Did he hit?” Ciraldo said, turning to where his No.6 had just kicked from.
Not quite, no.
But still close enough to make it a discussion point come Saturday evening.
That, and plenty else.
On the eve of this year’s hyped NRL Las Vegas blockbuster, all six teams have been given their first look inside The Death Star.
Aka, that $2 billion home of those Las Vegas Raiders.
Starting on a rolling schedule from 11 o’clock in the morning, both English Super League teams and North Queensland came through first, with Newcastle, St George Illawarra and Canterbury then through later in the afternoon.
Due to their bringing a home game halfway across the world, the Bulldogs were also allowed to do their Captains Run on the field, and were the last team out onto the pitch around four o’clock.
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Apart from being the only squad to do a full session at the venue, the Dogs also started from the dressing room and ran out onto the pitch – amid much hollering – to begin training.
In stark contrast, Cowboys players didn’t even wear team kits to their early visit.
However, the North Queensland players did happily front up for interviews, while the other clubs were off limits – with Ciraldo also addressing the media ban around Bulldogs young gun Lachie Galvin.
For Burton, meanwhile, all the headlines this week have concerned his feet.
Writing for the New York Post, journalist Mark Cannizzaro even suggested on Friday that NFL scouts have become interested in the Bulldogs playmaker, despite his being contracted until the end of 2027, while Seattle Seahawks punter Michael Dickson — the Aussie who only recently became a Super Bowl winner — is also convinced he can make it.
“I’m sure he could do it,” Dickson said this week.
Certainly Burton shocked even Raiders NFL players on Wednesday when one of his towering bombs struck a practice facility roof some 110 feet above him.
A trio of NFL players present suggested even Raiders punter AJ Cole had never done such a thing, due to the small matter of the training facility roof having been specifically built to a height to ensure it didn’t happen.
Then again Friday, Burton almost doubled down.
Yet while Canterbury did an expansive session out on Allegiant Stadium, the relaxed Cowboys rocked up in civvies and were happy to simply mill about on the grass, chat, or toss tight spirals with that random pigskin.
Elsewhere, Tom Dearden and Reuben Cotter also briefly had playing kits on for a photo.
The Knights, meanwhile, and also considered a home team in Las Vegas, did have a shortened session out in the middle – with players kicking, catching and taking some conversions.
One of which, incidentally, saw Kalyn Ponga launch his Steeden so high into the stands, it almost hit a Las Vegas cleaner who was up sweeping the aisles in readiness for game day.
Turning around to see where the missile had come from, KP offered a polite courtesy wave.
When their turn came, the Dragons did a short tour of the dressingrooms before then enjoying a brief walk out on the grass, with several players from all four NRL sides also removing their shoes for some Freddy Fittler ‘earthing’.
Certainly, there was no doubting the boys were impressed.
Just as they have been lifting weights inside the schmick UFC Performance Institute this week.
In fact, as Canterbury came out of the tunnel and onto the field, running as if it were game day, backrower Sitili Tupouniua was so blown away by the enormity of the venue, he shouted ‘holy crap’.
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Lachie Galvin, meanwhile, looked as relaxed as you’d expect a fella who has been kept away from media all week.
When Ciraldo was asked about his young star being the only player journalists haven’t had access to this week, the coach replied: “I didn’t realise he was the only guy who hasn’t spoken.
“And I don’t think he realises it, either.
“It’s been business as usual for him. I don’t think he’s been craving to go out and speak to anyone.”
At which point it was asked if the move could put more pressure on him?
“There was a lot of speculation around him last year,” the coach said of Burton. “And if he wants to be the player he wants to be he’s going to have to deal with that in the future.
“But hopefully a nice quiet week will be good for him.”
And as for whose call it was?
“As I’ve said, I didn’t know much about it,” Ciraldo replied. “And he didn’t know much about it.
“It’s been a club decision to be a bit quieter on that one and I think everyone can understand why.”
For the Knights meanwhile, Ponga and Dylan Brown also posed up for a range of photographs during their allotted time.
Speaking earlier this week, Fox Sports analyst Matty Johns suggested conditions provided by Allegiant Stadium could ensure it is KP, not Burton, who makes the biggest headlines because of the roof — convinced the dry track conditions could lead to Ponga playing the game of his life.
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Certainly, when asked if The Death Star provided the perfect environment for rugby league, Knights coach Justin Holbrook replied “100 per cent” before reminding of the weather surrounding the NRL’s launch here three years ago.
“I’m not exaggerating, you couldn’t have played a game of rugby league in that,” he recounted.
“It was blowing like a hurricane. There were trees getting ripped out of the ground, signage coming down, then we walked in here and it was absolutely perfect.
“To have this luxury is perfect.”
And a super dry track for your players?
“Exactly,” he said. “Which makes for perfect viewing, too.
“And it’s also a great atmosphere for fans. With everyone inside and a roof over the top, everything is amplified. It’s awesome.”
Ciraldo agreed.
“Beautiful stadium,” he said. “We’ve seen it before on TV and Youtube, but awesome to be here …”
Isn’t it what?
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Better, with plenty of time between the Cowboys departing and the other three NRL sides arriving, it also gave us time to sneak off and – after a couple of initial wrong turns — find the Las Vegas Raiders dressing room.
Immediately when walking in, your eyes are drawn to an oversized club logo, think the size of a small pool, which is splashed large over a gigantic chunk of dressing room carpet.
Elsewhere around this sprawling and predominantly black space, several lockers have been mocked up with helmets, jerseys and cleats – presumably for stadium tours – while on a wall near two large fridges is printed that famed slogan of late Raiders GM Al Davis: “Just win baby”.
Go around one corner and you’re into an oversized room with six treatment tables, several plunge pools and bundles of every imaginable strapping tape. Through another door, and you’re into the press conference room, which then opens up into the sprawling Champions Club – with a huge bar right next to the field entry at halfway.
Get yourself in here on game day, they say, and it’s all the free booze you can drink. Sadly, that same deal doesn’t apply should you stumble in here during an NRL media call.
Just as on game day too, NRL players won’t be dressing in the Raiders sheds.
Instead, both the Canterbury and St George Illawarra will use dressing rooms usually reserved for the University of Las Vegas football team, with Newcastle and North Queensland in those sheds for visiting college teams.
Wonderfully, NRL officials will be based out of the Raiderettes change room, which has to include more mirrors per square inch than any other room anywhere here in Las Vegas, and mannequins decked in all the various cheerleader uniforms over the years.
Which again, is that sort of week for the NRL.
One all cheerleaders, flag bearers, Fremont Street crowds, packed activations, and more than a couple of bars overrun by Aussies.
Yet when asked if his Bulldogs, undeniably the most promoted team this week, will feel an obligation to go out and entertain on Saturday afternoon, Ciraldo was quick to say no.
“It’s not about doing anything but getting our game right,” he said. “We’re not thinking ‘big picture’.
“We want to come out here, get two points, and go home.”
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