It’s just after 11 o’clock on Thursday morning here at the NRL Las Vegas fan fest, and St George Illawarra’s Val Holmes is being dragged from a chaotic Dragons signing session for which the line of fans, no lie, stretches several hundred metres.
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And the reason for Holmes’ departure?
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Yet another sit down interview with US media. And this time, no less than CBS.
Understanding that for Americans tasked with covering this craziest of NRL Las Vegas weeks, Holmes is the undeniable ‘sell’ for all things Dragons.
Sure, Matty Johns’ revealing interview with head coach Shane Flanagan – where the pair discussed the ongoing criticism of playmaking son, Kyle – has drawn plenty of interest back home in recent days.
Same deal, the impending club debut of new Dragons No.7 Daniel Atkinson.
A fella who, soon enough, will make his own brief departure from the autograph table to talk with Fox Sports Australia about his impending debut.
But for the media vultures here Stateside, it’s Val they want.
That good lookin’ Rooster who once had a crack with no less than the New York Jets.
Which for Holmes, is refreshingly different to how he was greeted here seven years ago.
Back when the then NFL wannabe had confused Jets team-mates, initially, mistaking him for a Wallaby.
“Because everyone knows the All Blacks,” Holmes will say later, recalling his brief crack at making big time US football.
“That’s why they all thought I was playing rugby. They’d say ‘oh, you’ve played against the All Blacks?’
“I was like ‘ah, it’s not really that’.”
Which also goes a long way to explaining why this week, Holmes is happy to be something like the Minister for Rugby League – even insisting he has “embraced” the role.
“I’ve done a few interviews now with the US press,” he says once the CBS chat is through. “And it is cool to have on the resume.
“I’ve just tried to explain how our game, it’s the NFL in Australia.
“It’s the pinnacle of sport in Australia.
“And I think it’s cool they can use that as a starting point.
“Because this event really is a stepping stone towards what can be for rugby league.
“You’ve got to invest, and we’ve signed a five-year deal.
“So now you’ve got to go hard, the players and officials, in promoting it. Because that will bring more eyes from the US, Europe, Dubai …”
New No.7 Atkinson is equally pumped to be Stateside.
Craziest moment for this fella signed to be the Dragons chief playmaker?
“Going inside ‘Ol Red,” he said of the popular country bar on Las Vegas Boulevard, which the Dragons have converted into an official fan HQ.
“I saw a picture of myself up behind the bar.
League fans soak up trip of a lifetime | 04:48
“You walk in the door there and Gutho is plastered on the elevator.
“Then I’m pictured with a couple of boys up behind the bar.
“It’s just a proud moment because sometimes you can get so locked on what we’re doing, how we are training, you forget what’s going on.
“That people are flying in from all over to watch us play.
“So personally, that’s when it all hit me. It was the same again when my family flew in yesterday, just seeing how much this all means to them.”
At which point, Atkinson looked around a room packed with not only thousands of Dragons fans, but others like NRL chief Andrew Abdo, Dragons greats Matty Cooper and Graeme Wynn, even Australian cricket favourite Mike Whitney.
“And you can see how much they’re all buying in,” Atkinson grinned of the madness.
“We actually met some people who had flown in from LA. They love the contact of our game and were even calling it rugby league and everything.
“Honestly, I didn’t know this many Dragons fans would be here, either. But have a look now, they’re lined all the way up and out the door.”
Which they were.
And as for Saturday night’s game?
“I’m just keen to play some footy,” he said. “I came here for an opportunity and, while nothing was guaranteed, I’ve now been given it.
“We’ve got a great team with strike all over the park, hard workers, so I just need to play to my strengths.”
Asked about his role with halves partner Kyle Flanagan, Atkinson continued: “I can definitely be chief organiser.
“But when Kyle is hot, I just need to let him run the show.
“I’m going to have good moments, Kyle is going to have gun moments. So I have to be his 2IC really.
“Help him organise what he needs. And that’s the good thing about us, we complement each other well.”
Elsewhere, Dragons star Holmes also stressed that, when it comes to growing the game Stateside, he has no problem with using rugby union, initially, as a way in for American fans.
Understanding this fella initially mistaken for a Wallaby has seen, first hand, how that can work.
“Because eventually,” he continues, referencing those confused New York Jets, “they started asking me for some highlights, even put it up on the big screen.
“And I think they were pretty happy with what they saw.”
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