The Canberra Raiders are poised to give up a home game to play in Las Vegas next year, but an official announcement has been delayed.
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Reports emerged on Tuesday that the NRL would confirm on Wednesday the Raiders are officially one of four teams to play in Sin City in the second year of the season-opening experiment.
As part of the announcement, it's anticipated that the Raiders and Penrith Panthers will be the "home" teams in the US showcase, meaning one less game at Canberra Stadium in 2025.
While the NRL is set to lock in the Las Vegas teams "soon" so members and fans can organise their trips Stateside, The Canberra Times understands no announcement will be made on Wednesday.
The Cronulla Sharks and New Zealand Warriors are the other two teams expected to play at Allegiant Stadium to open the 2025 NRL season.
The Raiders narrowly missed the cut to be in Vegas this year, and since learning that news in 2023, Canberra chief executive Don Furner has been on a mission to secure their inclusion.
Furner is hoping the Canberra side can utilise the world-class training facilities of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders and he has been busy picking the brains of other club bosses on what did and didn't work from this year's spectacular.
Raiders players would certainly be buzzing to hear the club is headed to Vegas, with some "jealous" of their NRL rivals that took part this year. It might even play a role in getting Jordan Rapana to re-sign for another season.
RICKY FINDS ALLY IN SIX-AGAIN DRAMA
Meanwhile, Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has found a vocal ally in rugby league commentator Phil Gould as the six-again rule drew more criticism following last weekend.
After Saturday night's defeat to the Storm, Stuart voiced his concern about the six-again rule's implementation, arguing the Raiders were "on the wrong side of the guessing game again", having lost the set restart count 7-4.
Former Blues coach Gould backed Stuart in a passionate spray against the six-again rule introduced in 2020.
"It's a blitz," Gould said on Nine's 100% Footy.
"They're handing them out like M&M's, Smarties. I don't like it, I've never liked it."
Gould argued that referees were awarding six-agains for ruck infringements they wouldn't have otherwise blown a penalty for before the 2020 rule was introduced, and it was causing confusion among fans.
"If they had to give a penalty I doubt they'd give the penalty," he said.
"But because they've got the safety of this six-again thing, where they don't have to be held accountable for it and they don't have to explain it.
"I think the art of refereeing, particularly at the top level, is the ones you don't blow - you let the game flow," Gould added.
"We say it every year, the games where there's less penalties and less six-agains flow, they're more enjoyable, the players get into a fatigued state, the football looks after itself. If you keep doing that [six-agains], everyone gets frustrated.
"I just think a lot of the six-agains they give are unnecessary and if they were normal penalties, they wouldn't award them."
Stuart was not the only one to voice his displeasure at officiating standard of late, with Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett and Roosters' Trent Robinson taking aim at the overuse of the sin bin.
In his NRL's weekly review on Monday, head of football Graham Annesley didn't explain or address the concerns raised by Stuart in round 17.
NRL ROUND 18
Sunday: Canberra Raiders v Newcastle Knights at Canberra Stadium, 4.05pm.