Wigan fans paint Fremont Street cherry and white
The Wiganers who were there stole the show - but the absent Warringtonians were the talk of Las Vegas as Saturday’s rugby league extravaganza at Allegiant Stadium was launched.
“The English fans probably showed our Aussie fans a level they need to get to,” Cronulla’s Cameron McInnes said after NRL CEO Andrew Abdo and everyone else on stage were drowned out by cherry-and-white fans singing and chanting at a Resorts World media event - to which supporters were also invited.
“It brings that extra atmosphere that we in Oz don’t get so much. I know that English football fans chant a lot,” the Sharks star said, “but I guess I was just surprised so many of them travelled over.”
McInnes predicted the Brits in the crowd would be “incoherent” by the end of the four-day program on Saturday.
In 2024, the corresponding media launch had been held outside, overlooking the famous Las Vegas Strip - but it was immediately evident that was not going to be the biggest difference.
With Wigan coach Matty Peet and his charges due in immediately afterwards to sign autographs and answer questions, the reigning world champs’ followers had filled the seats in front of the stage, enthusiastically brandishing pints of beer.
Then they started singing. “We’re the famous Wigan rugby, we’re still at the top/We’re the kings of rugby and we’re never gonna stop/We’ll follow you wherever you may go.”
Warrington captain George Williams, a Wiganer who won trophies with the club, could only offer a wry smile as he - along with Penrith captain Isaah Yeo - were roundly, but good-naturedly, booed as seven captains were introduced to the merry mob.
No doubt the travelling Warrington fans will bristle at their captain’s treatment and bid to make amends when the two sides kick off the first Super League game to be played in America this weekend.
Another absent Warringtonian, coach Sam Burgess, was in the air at the time, his arrival delayed by visa complications before being met by a group of Australian journalists and camera crews at McCarran Airport on Wednesday night.
But yes, seven captains, not eight.
England women’s skipper Jodie Cunningham - who plays for St Helens but was born in Warrington - missed the on-stage section of the launch due to scheduled training and traffic.
“I’ve just been rubbing mud off my knees to get in the photos at the end,” she told NRL.com.
Waving at players, media, fans and officials mingling around her, Cunningham continued: “We’ve got a job to do. This stuff is great. The media need to make sure we’re all shouting and singing about it.
It looks like you may be using adblocking software to view this site.
Many features on the site, such as video playback, may not work properly when using adblocking software.
Please whitelist our domain or disable your adblocker to access all features and videos.
Vegas check in: Blayke Brailey
“I need to make sure my team does a great performance.
“I don’t think it’s a tactical move but we are focused on us.
“Our sessions were all planned out long in advance. It’s a shame we missed the start.”
Regarded as Saturday’s biggest underdogs, England women seem determined not to be pushed around in Las Vegas. Staying in the same hotel as the Jillaroos, they’re keeping their distance.
“We’ve got a few girls who play in the NRLW so we know a lot of the girls really well,” Cunningham said. “You know, everyone is polite, friendly, pleasant - but they are the enemy until after the game.
“We can’t put them on that pedestal because we have to go out there knowing that we have a chance.”
Cunningham said the philosophy - which might be regarded as a little stand-offish - was driven by herself and coach Stuart Barrow.
“We’ve got three players who have played against Australia before - that’s it,” she said.
“We haven’t tested ourselves against that in a long, long time. This is a completely new group so for me it’s important that we respect them but we don’t put them on that pedestal.
“They want us to walk out and give them the best of us - and that’s what we’re here to do.”
Cunningham says it was emotional to see the profile of the game she’s grown up with in Las Vegas this week and that the event was bigger than she or any of her team-mates imagined.
“I had goosebumps walking over here, I had goosebumps talking about it,” she said, “because it’s bigger than any individual team, bigger than the men’s game, bigger than the women’s game.
“This, for me, is what we need to do for rugby league if we’re going to get it to where we need it to be.”
For an hour, it was a culture clash in the best possible way as both league hemispheres came together.
Former Great Britain star Brian Carney dressed as Elvis and long-serving NRL star Blake Ayshford working for New Zealand media at the launch were, as someone said, “not on my bingo card”.
Getting cheered by members of the public is not on Abdo’s bingo card, either.
“It’s wonderful to have English fans here - that’s the first applause I’ve had in my six years as NRL chief executive,” Abdo said. “So this has been a good decision.”
