With the NRL’s Las Vegas extravaganza expected to be a success in 2024, attention has already turned to which four teams will be making the trip next year.
In fact, CEOs from the other 13 clubs have descended on Las Vegas in an attempt to pitch to the NRL why they should be the ones headed to ‘Sin City’ in 2025.
In the background though there is a different turf war bubbling away according to The Sydney Morning Herald, with a report claiming the Roosters and Sea Eagles are both in a battle to prove they should be America’s NRL team.
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Roosters supremo Nick Politis was quoted by the Herald saying that they are the natural choice given they have the American colours of red, white and blue.
“First of all, everybody knows what a successful brand the Roosters brand is in Australia, and what we stand for as a football team and a club,” Politis said.
“Now it’s time for us to take it to America in a big way if the NRL is serious about what they’re doing – and it appears after everything that’s happened over the last few days, they are.
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“I want to compliment Peter V’landys for the way he’s made things happen. And it will only get bigger. After all, the Roosters are a natural fit. We’ve got the American colours: red white and blue.”
Politis’ comments came after Manly owner Scott Penn said the club wants to “really entrench” themselves in America.
“Obviously, we want to give everyone a fair go, but there needs to be a home team,” he said.
“We’ve put a hand up so we’re happy to be the home team… America’s team. We’d love to be the American Eagles.”
It is no surprise to see Penn, who is based in New York, so enthusiastic about the prospect given he has had a nearly decade-long vision of taking the NRL to America.
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“We’ve always eyed the U.S. as a future opportunity,’’ Penn told The New York Post.
“The game is incredible shape in Australia. It’s got the highest viewership of any sport in Australia. It’s now highly profitable as a league and we’ve got more opportunities ahead of us. So now we can start to look ahead at investing internationally, how we grow the game internationally — not necessarily in participation terms, but from a viewership point of view.
“We know that we are perfectly placed in the U.S. because anyone who’s an NFL fan in the U.S. is devoid of their content from March to September, so our season is a perfect time frame to give the U.S. football fans — or gladiatorial fans if you like —- some content whilst they’re waiting for the NFL season to come back.
“So, I genuinely think we’ve got a huge opportunity to not only gain interest and awareness but a loyal following.’’
DCE OPEN TO PERMANENT SWITCH TO PROPOSED US LEAGUE
Elsewhere, while the Sea Eagles and the other three NRL teams will obviously be flying back to Australia after Sunday’s game, could the move to America at some point become a permanent one for one Manly star?
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Well, halfback Daly Cherry-Evans admitted he is open to the idea of playing in the country’s proposed professional league once he wraps up his NRL career.
Sea Eagles owner Scott Penn is one of several potential investors amid talk of a semi-professional domestic league in America and suggested Cherry-Evans could be a big-name target.
“If Scott (Penn) wants to get it rolling, I’m happy,” Cherry-Evans said when asked about the possibility.
“I obviously don’t have a heap of time left my rugby league career and I’m loving what’s happening with Manly at the moment. But, I’m very open-minded about contract stuff and where my career might end up.
“It’s nice for the owner of my current club pushing for an American opportunity and that’s an easy transition for me, isn’t it?”
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