It's time to kick on now, now bask in Vegas glory - Wigan Warriors CEO

Last weekend’s fixture against Warrington Wolves was the first time a Super League game had been played on US soil.

Going to America was the brainchild of Warriors chief executive Radlinski, who contacted NRL bosses after watching last year’s inaugural event in Vegas on television.

The legendary ex-player spent a week in Vegas overseeing operations as Matt Peet’s men capped a memorable trip by thumping Wire 48-24.

Wigan owner Mike Danson and the club’s hierarchy mixed with the NRL’s top brass in Sin City and Radlinski said: “Coming to Vegas has never been about making money or ‘let’s crack America’. This is about raising Super League’s profile and seeing where it can take us. It was a calculated decision and we’re lucky to have an owner who says ‘I want eyeballs on rugby league’.

“I’ve been challenged on cost-base but ultimately this is bigger than that – this is about the future direction of the sport. There were a lot of headlines about us winning the game last weekend, but I want this for Super League. As a sport we had some tough times during Covid when we were fighting for our survival, so coming to Vegas is for the whole game and I’m so proud.”

The broadcast deal with Sky Sports, who have covered Super League since its formation in 1996, has fallen sharply in recent times.

Yet Radlinski believes that taking the competition to Vegas will give the British game a much-needed shot in the arm.

“I think it has to,” he added. “In the last month, since the season started, there has been a lot of interest created by us going to Vegas and Sky Sports have really pushed this game. On Super Sunday recently, after Manchester City beat Liverpool, they had Roy Keane and Micah Richards talking about it in front of probably at least 50 million viewers worldwide.

“We were on the world stage last weekend and I didn’t know what to expect coming here. But I walked up the Strip last week and saw fans from every rugby league club in the UK. This is not going to solve all our problems, but it has captured the imagination. The NRL said there was a ‘halo effect’ on the game after Vegas last year, and I think that’s already happening within UK rugby league. In the opening rounds of the season, crowds and digital engagement are up.”

There has been talk of the NRL buying a stake in Super League and Radlinski added: “It’s [NRL] the premier competition in the world. During the past 10 months, preparing for this game, I’ve had meetings every fortnight and on the call have been 20 people from every single department of the NRL. I don’t want to ram Las Vegas down everyone’s throat – this isn’t the answer – but I just hope it gives people some optimism for the future of the game and that we can be part of it.”

The NRL has a five-year deal to play in Vegas and it is expected that at least two more Super League teams will be part of the 2026 incarnation.

Radlinski said: “There’s a movement happening and it’s up to us as a sport to grasp it.”