NRL officials’ trip to Las Vegas got off to a bumpy start when the flight carrying Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo was forced to turn back to Sydney after the plane developed a problem with the air conditioning system an hour into the flight.
Qantas flight 337, which had been specially chartered and was carrying Peter V’landys, Andrew Abdo and a host of other management and staff, took off at 3.20pm on Tuesday for the 13-hour trip to Vegas – but was back on the tarmac at Sydney airport just after 5.20pm.
ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys and CEO Andrew Abdo.Credit: Getty Images
In addition to ARLC chairman V’landys and NRL chief executive Abdo, the flight was also carrying Newcastle CEO Peter Parr, media figures and a large number of Knights fans.
The flight was due to take off again at around 6.30pm, once the problem with the aircon had been fixed.
Provided the flight eventually reaches Vegas, V’landys and Abdo will be joined here later this week by executives and office bearers from several clubs not playing this weekend including the Roosters, Eels and the Sharks.
The Papua New Guinea Chiefs’ first employees – CEO Lorna McPherson and general manager Michael Chammas, previously of this masthead – are also coming for what doubles as an unofficial NRL executives’ offsite.
In only their second week in the jobs, they have a lot to do, not least settling on a coach for the Chiefs’ entry to the competition in 2028 and building an administration in Port Moresby from scratch.
But McPherson, who was a senior executive at PNG telco Digicel, knows the Pacific nation inside out, and Chammas knows the NRL backwards.
“It’s very exciting,” said McPherson, who is making her first trip to Las Vegas. “I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Could Trump tune into NRL in Vegas?
Former treasurer and Australian ambassador to the United States Joe Hockey is headed to Las Vegas and wouldn’t be surprised if his one-time golfing buddy Donald Trump tuned into the NRL on American television.
Joe Hockey with former president Donald Trump.
A board member of the incoming expansion team Perth Bears, Hockey provides a key link for the NRL with the corridors of power in the US.
His firm Bondi Partners is involved in organising the code’s business of sport conference, which is being held in Las Vegas on the day before this weekend’s round-one double header at Allegiant Stadium.
Hockey has extensive ties in Washington after four years as the Australian government’s top man on the ground in the US capital between 2016 and 2020.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck crosses for the Warriors last year in Vegas.Credit: Getty Images
His time in the post covered most of Trump’s first term in the White House and he enjoyed a strong relationship with the US President, most notably playing nine holes of golf with him at the Trump National course in Virginia in 2018.
With the Trump administration dealing with the Iran crisis, tariff troubles and myriad other issues, though, Hockey hasn’t reached out to him about the NRL’s exhibition in Las Vegas.
“If we thought there was reasonable chance [he would come] we would have formally invited him,” he told us.
But with the two NRL games to be broadcast on Fox Sports in the US, and the headliner between Canterbury and St George Illawarra to be shown on its main channel in prime time, Hockey added: “I wouldn’t put it past him to watch it on TV.”
A lifelong supporter of the North Sydney Bears and the former federal MP for North Sydney for 19 years, he said he had jokingly told Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys that he wanted Perth’s first game to be against the Bears’ historic rivals, Manly, in Las Vegas next year.
While that won’t happen, he believes the NRL has a dynamic, attractive product to showcase and can gain traction in the US.
“I think there’s growing awareness, but it just takes time to penetrate a market of 350 million people with a massive amount of sport on,” Hockey said.
“You’ve just got to keep proving your credentials. It is a bit of a goldfish attitude. If you’re not in front of them, after eight seconds you’re forgotten.”
Nice view, Val
Valentine Holmes strides out at Dragons training in Las Vegas.Credit: Getty Images
Valentine Holmes was spotted wearing Meta AI glasses at Dragons training on Tuesday (Australian time), with the first-person footage giving fans a snapshot of what it is like to prepare and move like a professional athlete.
A device attached to the front of the glasses was sent to a computer, edited and then uploaded to Holmes’ social media accounts.
There are also plans for another Dragons player to wear the glasses at the fan day on famous Fremont Street this week.
The point-of-view camera angles have been used with great success by cricketers in the Indian Premier League.
Dragons players delayed their breakfast on Monday local time after being instructed to avoid light at all costs until at least 8am to help with the jet lag.
Cashed-up Dragon
It is well-known Dragons players enjoyed a decent blowout on Saturday night in Las Vegas along with the three other NRL clubs. We can now tell you one of them had plenty of joy on the cards table, and at one stage had won more than $9000. Hint: the player isn’t exactly short of a quid.
Still on the Dragons, coach Shane Flanagan is keen to chat to Mitch Barnett about joining the club after he reportedly informed the New Zealand Warriors he wanted to return home at the end of the year for family reasons.
Shane Flanagan oversees the Dragons’ first session in the US.Credit: Getty Images
Keaon Koloamatangi is already heading to the Dragons next year, but Flanagan would love another experienced representative front-rower to help lead the talented but young pack. The Dragons have cash to spend on Barnett, who Flanagan has admired for several years.
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