https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sp...s/news-story/f63b26d33f1ec900af4e67e17467a61b
DEAR MR PRESIDENT
The NRL continues to hold out hope that US president Donald Trump will be at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday afternoon (AEDT).
Vegas Con understands that head office is pulling out all stops to lure Trump to Las Vegas to watch the quadruple header.
They remain in the dark about his movements. Hopefully it helps that the Trump International Towers is only a stone’s throw from where players and officials are staying in Las Vegas at Resorts World.
NRL’S WRESTLEMANIA MOMENT
The NRL agreed to help promote WrestleMania 41 after striking a deal to work with the WWE in the lead-up to their Las Vegas extravaganza.
Rugby league has already benefited from the collaboration — former player and Triple M radio host Aaron Woods featured on an episode of Raw last week, helping the game reach an audience of nearly 5 million people.
Now it’s the rugby league’s turn to return the favour by helping promote wrestling’s showpiece event in Las Vegas during Sunday’s (AEDT) games.
WrestleMania will be held at Allegiant Stadium on April 19-20. The wrestling world has been abuzz with speculation that Dwayne Johnson — aka The Rock — will make his in-ring return in Las Vegas.
The Rock famously took to social media two years ago in a show of support for the Samoan rugby league team before the 2022 World Cup final.
WARRIORS vs. WARRIORS
The respective Warriors – Wigan and New Zealand – will take part in an opposed scrimmage session to help with both teams’ lead-ups to their respective clashes at Las Vegas.
The NRL and Super League club have agreed to a hitout on Friday just days out from their matches where Wigan will take on Warrington and the Warriors play Canberra.
Penrith have already arranged a training session against Warrington on the same day leaving the Raiders and the Sharks as the odd teams out.
The Wigan squad is filled with NRL talent including Bevan French, Jai Field, Luke Thompson and former New Zealand Warrior Adam Keighran.
It will be an important part of each team’s preparations as they adjust to the Las Vegas conditions including the shortened width of the surface at Allegiant Stadium.
New Zealand Warriors coach Andrew Webster has all but settled on his starting 17 with just one bench spot up for grabs.
“We are pretty close,” Webster said. “That No.17 spot we are umming and ahhing but we have our 16. There are not many secrets.
“Every week most teams struggle with who is going to play No.17. You worry about the opposition or the team dynamic. Do we need to carry two hookers, a utility player or an outside back? You just need to give yourself time to see how training goes.”
WOODSY’S PR TOUR CONTINUES
The NRL are certainly getting their money’s worth out of retired international star Aaron Woods.
Fresh from mingling with sport stars across the country, Woods fronted a local television program called Sports Wrap on KLAS 8 to spread the good word of rugby league to the locals.
BURGESS RACES THE CLOCK FOR VISA
Sam Burgess has been officially grounded — temporarily at least.
The Warrington coach was left behind in England on Monday morning (AEDT) while his Wolves side jumped on a plane and headed to Las Vegas for their Super League clash against Wigan.
Burgess was forced to skip Warrington’s flight because he still has not been granted a visa to enter the US because of previous legal issues during his time in Australia.
Although he had failed to resolve his visa issues, the likes of former NRL players Paul Vaughan, Matt Dufty and George Williams took their seats on the plane, minus their famous coach.
Those close to Burgess remain confident that he will granted a visa that will enable him to travel to Las Vegas in time for the game, but just how much of the lead-up to the match he misses remains unclear.
Warrington have arranged to have an opposed session against four-time NRL premiers Penrith on Friday in preparation for their respective games against Wigan and Cronulla.
Burgess is no certainty to be in Las Vegas for that or to take his place in the coaching box when his side play Wigan as part of the four matches at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday.
The Wolves head coach was forced to make a last-minute dash to London in a bid to receive a clearance which would enable him to travel.
Burgess met with the US consulate in London just days before he was due to fly out, but it wasn’t enough to expedite the process.
The issue is that Burgess pleaded guilty to three driving charges in 2021 — testing positive to a roadside drug test to cocaine, driving an unregistered vehicle, and driving without a NSW licence. He avoided conviction but was instead ordered to complete a traffic offenders program.
NRL TAKES TO THE RINK
All four NRL teams were keen spectators at ice hockey games on Saturday night (Sunday AEDT).
The Cronulla Sharks walked from their team hotel to the Crypto Arena where the Los Angeles Kings took on Utah.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas-based Penrith, Canberra and New Zealand — the latter of whom only touched down in Sin City four hours earlier — headed down the Strip to T-Mobile Arena where the Vegas Golden Knights did battle with the Vancouver Canucks.
Canberra’s Joe Tapine did a jersey swap with the Golden Knights’ Tomas Hertl the day before the game, so there was no second guessing where his allegiances lay during the game as the Raiders took over Bay 221.
One bay over were the New Zealand Warriors.
The clubs were given a shoutout on the big screen, while a whole row were given tickets to the match and one punter gifted a Penrith retro jersey. Tapine and Isaah Yeo took part in a passing competition on the ice at the end of the second period.
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