The Bulldogs have been campaigning long and hard to be selected for Las Vegas next year and they have strengthened their case after conducting a survey which shows their fans are ready to take over Sin City.
The Bulldogs had over 6,000 responses to their survey in its first four days and a remarkable 86 percent of those who responded said they were planning to go to Vegas to watch their side play.
More than 80 percent said they would take the opportunity to extend their stay by spending extra time in Las Vegas, Los Angeles or somewhere else in America.
That last result will be music to the ears of the NRL given the more money fans spend in Las Vegas, the better it is for their bottom line due to the benchmarks in their deal with the local tourism body.
The deadline for submissions to head to Vegas next year is Friday afternoon. The NRL is expected to make a final call in the next fortnight and the Bulldogs are among the favourites to make the final cut.
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo told the clubs last week that head office was expected to break even or potentially make a profit on the Vegas extravaganza this year.
They will head to Vegas next year confident that they can exceed this year’s performance given the interest from clubs and supporters, led by the Bulldogs and their army of fans.
They have put together an irresistible case for selection, having joined forces with St George Illawarra to launch what is in effect a combined bid which would see the clubs share their gate takings when they play each other later in the year.
The Bulldogs’ research also revealed that 98 percent of their fans wanted the players surnames on the back of their jerseys if they were chosen to play in Las Vegas.
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