The NRL is looking at heading into uncharted territory after earmarking the United States for a historic one-off Test between Australia and Tonga at the end of the season.
NRL.com understands the NRL has been exploring the possibility of taking the much-anticipated Test to the New York metropolitan area in October as the game looks to expand its global footprint on the back of a successful World Cup last year.
In a move that highlights the NRL's intention to increase awareness and participation in the world's largest sporting market, the governing body has been working closely with a number of promoters to turn the idea into a reality.
NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg last week hinted at a possible match on foreign soil when he said the governing body was "talking to a number of different promoters" in relation to an end-of-season Test between the Kangaroos and a star-studded Tongan side likely to be held on October 20.
It is believed one of the promoters involved is the group behind the bid for a New York team to play in the English Super League in 2020.
There are factors that need to be considered such as the significant financial output required to cover the costs associated with travel and match payments. There's also the broadcast implications and how the time zone difference would affect Australian viewers.
One venue discussed is Red Bull Arena - the 25,000-seat home ground of Major League Soccer team New York Red Bulls.
As it stands, the Kangaroos will play against New Zealand in a one-off Test in Auckland on October 13.
The Australia-Tonga game has been pencilled in for the following weekend. It's unlikely to be pushed back any further as NRL clubs want their representative players back from their mandatory six-week break as early as possible.
The NRL is keen to expand its tiny footprint in the United States in the lead-up to the 2025 World Cup in North America.
The mid-season Test between England and New Zealand in Denver last month has had mixed reviews, with the timing of the match in the middle of the NRL season the most common criticism.
An end-of-season Test would allay most of the club's fears.
The NRL played a one-off Origin game in Los Angeles in 1987 and failed to gain any traction, however this is part of multi-year plan to grow the game in the United States.
It's expected the NRL will open the season with a game between South Sydney and the Melbourne Storm in Los Angeles or San Francisco next year.
There's also an appetite to continue playing the England-New Zealand Test on American soil despite question marks over the timing and location.
"We don't care where the match is played, we just want to play it," Tonga coach Kristian Woolf said.
"It's important, from our point of view, that we build on the momentum of what has been built the past 12 months."
https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/07/18/nrl-considers-new-york-option-for-kangaroos-test-against-tonga/
