There was a lot of excitement over the weekend as reports suggested the Canberra Raiders were locked in to be in Las Vegas for next season's double-header opener.
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On Monday, the NRL pumped the brakes a bit, unable to confirm the Raiders were green-lit for Sin City, but The Canberra Times understands league bosses hope to officially announce the four teams involved later this month.
Until then, here's our pitch for why the Raiders need to be in Vegas come March next year.
The US connection
The NRL couldn't ask for a neater cross-code collaboration opportunity to get Americans interested in rugby league. Allegiant Stadium, the home ground of the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL, has the chance to host the NRL's Canberra Raiders - it just makes sense.
There's also the NFL's Minnesota Vikings that boast a pre-game Viking 'Skol' Clap and giant horn-blowing tradition just like in Canberra, and at the New England Patriots there's even an ACT-born former rugby league rising star in their squad.
The US sporting links to the Raiders is a promoter's dream and should help sell rugby league to the locals.
![The Raiders could be headed to Vegas. Pictures Getty Images, Keegan Carroll The Raiders could be headed to Vegas. Pictures Getty Images, Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/168198572/c80b7497-4a8f-49f9-b42d-dd228b0d8739.png/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Fans want it
They're the passionate rugby league diehards that "bleed green" no matter the up-and-down fortunes of the club that hasn't won a premiership since 1994, and they want to be in Vegas.
Highlighting that enthusiasm, fan group The Greenhouse has already made mock-up designs for an alternate all-black jersey for Vegas as a nod to the NFL's Raiders team colours.
It also helps that Canberra Raiders fans are everywhere.
Perhaps it's because of Canberra's rugby league dominance in the 1980s and 1990s, with Queensland and NSW greats littered throughout those iconic squads, but at any NRL away game, the Raiders always have strong support in attendance.
This year the Raiders currently boast nearly 24,000 members, which is more than recent premiership-winning clubs like the Roosters (20,500) and Panthers (22,500).
Despite having a smaller population than bigger rugby league markets like Sydney, Raiders fans turn up, and the NRL should expect no different should the team be in Vegas.
The team wants it
Before you mutter, "Well, duh", there's plenty of reasons players and coaches might not want to spend their final week of pre-season travelling nearly 13,000 kilometres to play in a foreign city renowned as a gambling and partying oasis, especially if the club burn a home game for the occasion.
But from the Raiders squad members The Canberra Times has spoken to over the season, there's no player or coach that doesn't want the Green Machine to be part of the Vegas trip next year.
The team is genuinely passionate about getting more eyeballs on rugby league and growing the game internationally, and the chance to take it to one of the biggest sports markets in the world is an experience they want to be part of.
Bigger and better
There were so many question marks over how the first edition of the NRL in Vegas would go down. Despite some doubters, league bosses stubbornly promised the venture would be a success, and many would agree it was just that.
Year two promises to see that momentum snowball to an even bigger and better rugby league showcase.
NRL and club executives as well as broadcasters no doubt learned what did and didn't work well in the maiden Vegas experiment and next year they can endeavour to make necessary improvements - with the Raiders to benefit.
Furthermore, Australians that wanted to wait and see what NRL in Vegas would look like, instead probably felt a great deal of FOMO - fear of missing out - watching the double-header from home this year and won't want to make the same mistake twice.
NRL ROUND 15
Friday: Canberra Raiders v North Queensland Cowboys at Canberra Stadium, 6pm.