Inter Miami's Argentine forward Lionel is a massive attraction in the American MLS football competition. Picture: Chandan Khanna/AFP
“We can’t do everything. We would need people on the ground with the drive and passion to run an American NRL competition.
“That’s not our aim with Vegas, our aim is to grow our eyeballs on the NRL competition with Americans. That’s first and foremost our primary consideration.
“People don’t realise the power of us connecting with America.
“I’m not talking benefits in the tens of millions, I’m talking hundreds of millions but only if the strategy is properly implemented and I am making sure we dot every I and cross every T.
“Our success here won’t happen overnight.
“It won’t happen in one year. But if our figures are correct and our commitment is long term, there could be more revenue coming to us from America than Australia, simply because of the scale of the population.
“Even if you get one per cent of the population in America, it’s worth hundreds of millions to us.”
Under the Rugby League America proposal, five franchises would be based in the east and five in the west for a 10-team league.
Each would sign 26 full-time players for a season that runs from April to September.
The NRL is ready to take over Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium. Picture: Grant Trouville
The RLA consortium has been working on the NRL America plan for five years. Last month, deals were struck with a major hotel partner and US airline to cover accommodation and travel.
The consortium is in talks with US TV broadcasters. Scanlan, who played two seasons for American side New Haven Warriors in 2006-07, hopes NRL clubs would be keen to form affiliate ties.
“Ideally, we’d love to have NRL clubs buying the licences and having them operate the NARL teams as affiliate clubs,” he said.
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“We already had this competition proposal under way and when the NRL said they were going to Vegas, it was the perfect alignment.
“There is still a lot of hard work to be done.
“We don’t necessarily expect the NRL to invest financially but if we could have co-branding and form a partnership with the NRL, this can be an untapped goldmine.’’
Originally published as
Coming to America: NRL in secret talks for $23m US Super League