Rugby League has a long and miserable history of offering the world hope and an atlas; Big dreams are only matched by bigger failures to be realized. Not anymore. More than 40,000 fans attended their first premiership game in the United States, a dazzling result for the NRL.
Peter V’Landys’ dream of bringing rugby league to America has ushered in a new reality for the NRL with two extraordinary games capturing the unprecedented excitement surrounding the event. The steak matched the sizzle.
Relating to: NRL looks to revive the American dream in Vegas after 94 years of trying to crack the USA’s nuts | Nick Tedeschi
And boy was there some sizzle there. This wasn’t a normal NRL match. Two members of Human Nature sang the Australian anthem. It was the first time the American anthem was performed at an NRL match. The specially made goalposts were yellow. The home wickets were in full colour, always a sign that a rugby league match was important. The coin toss took place on the field.
The AFL, long considered the gold standard for asserting its importance, will be watching with envy. North of the Murray, few can tell you the AFL season will start this week, such was the general coverage of the NRL’s trip to Las Vegas. Rarely has rugby league dominated the headlines or the public’s sporting consciousness for all the right reasons.
American audiences immediately recognized the brutality of rugby league. Former Sea Eagle Sean Keppie was brutally attacked by his former teammates in the opening set. Souths returned fire just two minutes later when Tevita Tatola crossed Tolutau Koula. Lachlan Croker was tackled by Latrell Mitchell. In the first 15 minutes of the match, cuts on the faces of both team players were treated. Welcome to rugby league.
It’s a brutal thing. Loping beauty is something else. It seemed inevitable in the 18th minute that Sea Eagles leggy winger Jason Saab would glide down the byline following Tom Trbojevic’s charge and South No 7 Lachlan Ilias score with a heroic wrist shot.
But just before the break Saab scored the Vegas try when he intercepted an errant lunge from Latrell Mitchell and raced 50 meters unchallenged to complete a first half full of the drama, ferocity, speed and heart that makes rugby league on US soil. Great. If V’Landys were Vince McMahon and rugby league was wrestling, it’s doubtful he could have written his script better.
If there was one moment that illustrated the importance of Las Vegas to the players, it was Mitchell’s passionate cry as he went down for a power try early in the second half. A few minutes later he took the lightest of touches to slot home Alex Johnston.
If physicality determined the first half on American soil, it was the scoring that determined the second, with four tries in the first 15 minutes. Every box was ticked to showcase the code physically with an 11-try belting as Manly won 36-24.
The second conflict began with the same brutality; Brendan Piakura sent for HIA in the first five minutes, Reece Walsh displayed his dazzling brilliance and Joey Manu raced ahead with an interception for the opening four points. It was a superb start for a Roosters team that had been underwhelmed in recent seasons, playing with pace and vitality unseen last year.
Failure to capitalize on their lead on the scoreboard meant the Roosters were only four points ahead at half-time, but they were desperately unlucky not to take a lead of five after Sam Walker fired a shot before it was controversially written off due to the NRL’s new crackdown on blockers. It didn’t matter that the Roosters cruised to a 20-10 victory.
Although the second match lacked the scoring of the first, it was not a match lacking in skill and courage. Sam Walker played more than half the game with damaged ribs. Reece Walsh scored a miraculous try against Daniel Tupou. It was a moment of pure ecstasy when Walsh stuck out his tongue.
However, there was no moment in either match as impressive as Joey Manu’s miraculous pass in the 52nd minute. It was a moment that will be cherished forever and one day, a Vegas magic trick to rival David Copperfield in its grandeur.
By the time Victor Radley completed the game, crashing down untouched after another great James Tedesco run, his first Las Vegas adventure was over and he had already declared an unqualified success.
The momentum will not end after an amazing weekend that will long be remembered as one of the most important weeks in Code history. For once, the NRL has proven it can get the job done. Once the clubs merged. Rugby league may not be the world game yet, but it has proven it can succeed on the global stage.