After the Brisbane Broncos nightmare of 2024 there was a theory that perhaps starting your NRL season in Las Vegas wasn’t as desirable as it first seemed.
However 2025 has turned that thinking squarely on its head, with all four ‘opening weekend’ sides set for NRL finals campaigns—and it potentially augers well for three of this year’s most underperforming sides, St George Illawarra, Newcastle and North Queensland as their attention shifts to 2026.
Next February will see the Dragons tackle the Bulldogs at Allegiant Stadium, while the Knights will also face the Cowboys at the imposing home of the Las Vegas Raiders NFL franchise.
The new thinking seems to be that, harnessed correctly, the emotion and energy of what is essentially a turbo charged team bonding trip can be channelled into season-long success, win or lose.
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Canberra Raiders hooker Tom Starling certainly believes so, telling NRL.com the time away set the tone for the Green Machine’s current premiership charge and best regular season in more than 30 years.
“It was an exciting experience for all of us and the club, one hell of a way to kick off the year,” Starling said of the trip that saw the Raiders defeat the Warriors 30-8 in the opening match of the NRL season.
“As a team you’re going away with a group of your mates, we took it as a chance to bond, the key part of our success is that tightness and that’s due to the travel we had together.”
Despite his side losing 28-22 to Penrith on the same day, Sharks chief executive Dino Mezzatesta has no doubts about the value of the trip, pointing to the sustained commercial benefits of the Las Vegas experience.
“Although we didn’t get the win it was such a big success for the club,” Mezzatesta told NRL.com, while also acknowledging the extra travel did place added early-season demands on the Sharks playing group.
"We took the (Cronulla Sharks) brand overseas and it was a great experience for the fans and members who follow us,” Mezzatesta continued.
“When we came back we had a tough run with travel and it does knock you around a little bit, but it was a great way to kick off the season and we’re riding off the back of that to give ourselves a chance to compete for a title.”
Following lean 2025 campaigns, the Dragons, Cowboys and Knights will all be hoping to replicate the Raiders’ experience as they chase finals returns in 2026, beginning on the other side of the Pacific on Saturday 28 February.
Viva Las Vegas, indeed.