'We've talked for years about a US comp': McQueen set for Vegas 9s
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Premiership winning former Origin and Test forward Chris McQueen believes the NRL Vegas 9s could help kick start the game in the United States and eventually lead to a professional competition.
McQueen, who was a member of South Sydney’s 2014 premiership winning team and retains close ties with the club, will play for Brooklyn Kings in the tournament, which is being run by the NRL ahead of the season opening double-header at Allegiant Stadium on March 2.
The former Maroons second-rower, who played for England in 2017, said he had kept an eye on the development of the game in North America, particularly after Toronto Wolfpack joined Super League, with plans for a New York team to follow.
The Wolfpack folded during the global Covid-19 pandemic and other teams never got off the ground but McQueen hopes the NRL’s commitment to growing the game in the US, which includes a talent combine, will revive those aspirations.
“I think the whole Vegas thing is great for the game,” McQueen said. “As rugby league players, we have been talking for years - and you keep hearing stories coming out of the US - about the competition starting and that sort of thing.
“A couple of years ago, there were a few teams popping up on social media and they were talking about a competition.
"I followed a couple of the teams but I remember seeing that the competition got delayed and it doesn’t seem like it eventuated.
“I guess that’s the plan going forward so hopefully it gets a lot of attention while the NRL is in Vegas, and it does big things for the game over there.
“Anything to get the game promoted over there and to hopefully one day to build a comp, because the more comps there are around the world, and the more money, the bigger and better it is going to be.”
the game promoted over there and to hopefully one day to build a comp, because the more comps there are around the world, and the more money, the bigger and better it is going to be.”
After fours years with Huddersfield, during which he won the Lance Todd Medal as player of the match in the 2022 Challenge Cup final, McQueen returned home at the end of last season.
However, the former Rabbitohs, Titans and Wests Tigers forward, who played 164 NRL matches between 2009 and 2020, hasn't yet hung up his boots and will play for the Kings in their 10th anniversary season at the NRL Vegas 9s.
The exposure that the NRL will bring is going to be good. I expect a lot of people to start taking up the game now.
Brooklyn Kings coach Matt Isherwood
With Souths playing Manly in the opening match of the NRL double-header at Allegiant Stadium, which also features Sydney Roosters against Brisbane, he also hopes to catch up with some former Rabbitohs team-mates.
“I am still a Rabbitoh at heart. I spent a lot of good years there and I was lucky enough to achieve a lot of good things there,” McQueen said.
“Now that I am retired, I am a Rabbitohs man so hopefully I can catch up with some of the boys but if not, I am looking forward to just going to watching them play at Allegiant Stadium.”
McQueen has been in contact with his Brooklyn team-mates via a WhatsApp group and Kings coach Matt Isherwood said they were “buzzing” about the prospect of playing with him at the Vegas 9s.
“They were all texting me on the side to say they can’t wait to play with someone of that experience. I can’t wait to be a part of it as well,” Isherwood said.
“It is great for rugby league and great for the Brooklyn Kings, in our 10th anniversary year, to be a part of this, and we are really looking forward to being a part of it in future years.”
Brooklyn Kings were founded in 2014 by Matt Bailey and Justin Coffman, who is still heavily involved, and their home ground overlooked Manhattan from the other side of New York’s East River.
After winning the USARL Championships final in 2019, the Kings did not get the opportunity to defend their title due to COVID and the competition splintering but IRL-led governance reform and the NRL’s Vegas initiative is reuniting the game.
“Events like this, where everyone can come together and have conversations, are brilliant,” Isherwood said.
Graham and Woods appear on Fox in Las Vegas
“We want the game to grow and we have just re-joined the USARL, which is good because everyone is under the same banner again.
“The exposure that the NRL will bring is going to be good. I expect a lot of people to start taking up the game now.
“We saw NRL players TV talking during the NFL coverage so that will get people talking. I think the event is going to drive a bit of interest and I am hoping that we will then get more players and more teams.”
