Vegas And The Round Up: Success or Not?

[The Masked Poster]

2 hours ago, Worzel said:

Yeah every time I've been it's been on the way to somewhere else. It's fine for a couple of days - one night in the casinos, day by the hotel pool, one night at a show - but then definitely better things to do... whether heading over to LA in one direction, or via the Hoover dam to the Grand Canyon or maybe Monument Valley in the other.   

Been to both the incredible Hoover Dam and the mind-blowing Grand Canyon. But it still doesn't take away from the absolute joy and mentalness of LV. 

Where are we? In a hotel. Ok.....but there's an actual canal with gondolas floating around. 

And you say we're in a hotel??? Words can't describe the place, there is so much going on. And a lot of it completely free. 

It's absolutely fantastic is Vegas and everyone should go if they can because we'll all be dead soon enough. 

[Worzel]

19 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

Been to both the incredible Hoover Dam and the mind-blowing Grand Canyon. But it still doesn't take away from the absolute joy and mentalness of LV. 

Where are we? In a hotel. Ok.....but there's an actual canal with gondolas floating around. 

And you say we're in a hotel??? Words can't describe the place, there is so much going on. And a lot of it completely free. 

It's absolutely fantastic is Vegas and everyone should go if they can because we'll all be dead soon enough. 

100% agree. It’s a life experience and needs to be done 

[philipw]

7 hours ago, NERugbyDad said:

Yep ... having a sports weekender with the rugby on Saturday followed by Ice Hockey on the Sunday night with Vegas Golden Knights vs New jersey Devils and the possibility of some Baseball on either the Friday or the Sunday afternoon with the Las Vegas College Baseball Classic on across the weekend.

Is the baseball the one out at Summerlin? It’s quite a distance out of the city 

[Padge]

3 hours ago, The Masked Poster said:

Been to both the incredible Hoover Dam and the mind-blowing Grand Canyon. But it still doesn't take away from the absolute joy and mentalness of LV. 

Where are we? In a hotel. Ok.....but there's an actual canal with gondolas floating around. 

And you say we're in a hotel??? Words can't describe the place, there is so much going on. And a lot of it completely free. 

It's absolutely fantastic is Vegas and everyone should go if they can because we'll all be dead soon enough. 

Brilliant, you have convinced me.

Convinced me that this is one place I do not want to go to at all, ever.

If I want gondolas, I'll go to Venice (been actually so no need for the plastice Vegas ones).

 

 

Edited February 8 by Padge

[Father Gascoigne]

11 hours ago, Coastal_Geordie said:

I know Wigan v Warrington isn’t the main event, and that it is the NRL’s show - but this has a feel of the early NFL games in London about it.  

The combine is potentially exciting, the amount of athletes produced by the college American football system that their just isn’t room for in the NFL could throw up some interesting new blood.  Sometimes they are just too small for the NFL but would have a suitable frame for NRL/SL.

This type of rhetoric has been doing the rounds on the internet for a few decades now, with fans of rugby league, union and Aussie rules all making claims about how the college gridiron scene is an untapped source of talent just waiting to be mined. 

The fact that this has gotten nowhere in that time should say all one needs to know. The average RL player who doesn't make the grade is almost certainly a far better option than an 'athlete' who has never played the game and, worse still, who is already in his early 20s. 

There has been more success in bringing people who can kick a ball from English-Australian sports into gridiron than the other way around, as those skills are very specific and require almost no game-awareness that would be impossible to transfer at a late age. 

[The Masked Poster]

8 hours ago, Padge said:

Brilliant, you have convinced me.

Convinced me that this is one place I do not want to go to at all, ever.

If I want gondolas, I'll go to Venice (been actually so no need for the plastice Vegas ones).

 

 

So don't go, nobody is forcing anyone to do anything. As the modern cliche goes, 'you do you'. 

But the weird thing is, it doesn't mean I haven't been to the actual Venice, that's nice too (if a little whiffy and extortionate) I was merely using an example of how crazy the place is. Have you ever been in a hotel with an actual canal running through it? Or a roller coaster in it? I certainly hadn't. 

Or on a different level, seeing it at night a few miles out in the desert is a great experience too and testament to mans ability to do incredible things. 

[Padge]

46 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

So don't go, nobody is forcing anyone to do anything. As the modern cliche goes, 'you do you'. 

But the weird thing is, it doesn't mean I haven't been to the actual Venice, that's nice too (if a little whiffy and extortionate) I was merely using an example of how crazy the place is. Have you ever been in a hotel with an actual canal running through it? Or a roller coaster in it? I certainly hadn't.  And I don't want to.

Or on a different level, seeing it at night a few miles out in the desert is a great experience too and testament to mans ability to do incredible stupid things. 

So they copied some stuff that already exists and put a lid on it.

I am more for the Parthenon or Samaria Gorge for my wonders rather than light bulbs.

[The Masked Poster]

1 hour ago, Padge said:

So they copied some stuff that already exists and put a lid on it.

I am more for the Parthenon or Samaria Gorge for my wonders rather than light bulbs.

And I like lightbulbs too, a very handy invention. .

I suppose the Sphere theatre is a 'few lightbulbs' too?

Edited February 8 by The Masked Poster

[NERugbyDad]

14 hours ago, philipw said:

Is the baseball the one out at Summerlin? It’s quite a distance out of the city 

Yeah it's Summerlin way on the way to Red Rock Canyon, but we've got a car for the weekend so won't be a problem getting out there if we go. Shame the stadium they're building for the Athletic's where the Tropicana used to be on the strip isn't complete till 2028 would have been a lot easier to get to!

[philipw]

54 minutes ago, NERugbyDad said:

Yeah it's Summerlin way on the way to Red Rock Canyon, but we've got a car for the weekend so won't be a problem getting out there if we go. Shame the stadium they're building for the Athletic's where the Tropicana used to be on the strip isn't complete till 2028 would have been a lot easier to get to!

Absolutely- we’ve done a few baseball games in the US and it’s really entertaining. Looking forward to next year, but even more so for 28 and the A’s! 

[Whippet13]

19 hours ago, The Masked Poster said:

Been to both the incredible Hoover Dam and the mind-blowing Grand Canyon. But it still doesn't take away from the absolute joy and mentalness of LV. 

Where are we? In a hotel. Ok.....but there's an actual canal with gondolas floating around. 

And you say we're in a hotel??? Words can't describe the place, there is so much going on. And a lot of it completely free. 

It's absolutely fantastic is Vegas and everyone should go if they can because we'll all be dead soon enough. 

The Hoover Dam is impressive but the Grand Canyon is really just a big hole in the ground, you can go see the same thing at Odsal for a fraction of the cost.

[The Masked Poster]

25 minutes ago, Whippet13 said:

The Hoover Dam is impressive but the Grand Canyon is really just a big hole in the ground, you can go see the same thing at Odsal for a fraction of the cost.

I say this with all due respect. 

But you are either A) trying to be a wind up merchant    or

B) An idiot.

 

[JonM]

34 minutes ago, Whippet13 said:

The Hoover Dam is impressive but the Grand Canyon is really just a big hole in the ground, you can go see the same thing at Odsal for a fraction of the cost.

We got talking to someone in Williams, Arizona (nice place, worth a visit) a few years back. He claimed he'd never been to the Grand Canyon, as what was the point of driving all that way to see a big hole in the ground  

In true American style, it's not the deepest, longest, widest or most impressive canyon in the world, but they still like to make it into a big thing.

[Whippet13]

1 hour ago, JonM said:

We got talking to someone in Williams, Arizona (nice place, worth a visit) a few years back. He claimed he'd never been to the Grand Canyon, as what was the point of driving all that way to see a big hole in the ground  

In true American style, it's not the deepest, longest, widest or most impressive canyon in the world, but they still like to make it into a big thing.

I know Williams well, been through several times and it is nice.

Winslow is another of my favourites in Arizona, primarily because there is a flatbed Ford permanently parked up on the main street.

I much prefer the Petrified Forest to the Grand Canyon as an Arizona natural attraction.

[hunsletgreenandgold]

James Graham had the NRL CEO on his podcast to discuss all things Las Vegas and a few interesting comments about the NRL and SL's relationship and the English/European game in general. 

 

Not sure if anyone has quoted numbers on here, but over 9,000 going out from Wigan/Warrington is incredible! 

Edited February 11 by hunsletgreenandgold

[eal]

The Grand Canyon is stunning and anyone who isn't blown away upon seeing it is without humanity.

[Just Browny]

6 hours ago, eal said:

The Grand Canyon is stunning and anyone who isn't blown away upon seeing it is without humanity.

Also true of Odsal though.

[Coastal_Geordie]

On 08/02/2025 at 07:57, Father Gascoigne said:

This type of rhetoric has been doing the rounds on the internet for a few decades now, with fans of rugby league, union and Aussie rules all making claims about how the college gridiron scene is an untapped source of talent just waiting to be mined. 

The fact that this has gotten nowhere in that time should say all one needs to know. The average RL player who doesn't make the grade is almost certainly a far better option than an 'athlete' who has never played the game and, worse still, who is already in his early 20s. 

There has been more success in bringing people who can kick a ball from English-Australian sports into gridiron than the other way around, as those skills are very specific and require almost no game-awareness that would be impossible to transfer at a late age. 

Agree overall with Gaelic/AFL punters/kickers having most cross-code success in NFL.  An interesting case in the Super Bowl though - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/c4g3v4qjz27o

[Damien]

 

 

[Damien]

For the Sky knockers too:

 

 

[Damien]

A little more. It is great to see Sky pushing SL like this:

But why is Buffer here – and what have Wigan and Sky Sports got planned? Plenty.

The 80-year-old has been flown to the UK for a significant cost: put it this way, he is not staying in a two-star hotel, and he didn’t fly economy class. But Sky Sports have covered the whole of the trip, not Wigan Warriors, and not Rugby League Commercial.

It is part of a major push from the broadcaster to attract eyeballs to Super League – and specifically to the Las Vegas trip on the opening weekend of March.

“Sky have been telling us that we have to try things differently but it’s interesting, they’re now coming to us with activation ideas now,” Wigan CEO Kris Radlinski tells Love Rugby League.

“You’re talking about money we’ve never had before. That’s not coming from rugby league’s pot, that’s coming from Sky Sports. They want to promote this event.

“We were on a call this week and there must have been 30 people from PR agencies. We’ve never had this kind of attention before. Every night they’ll check in with Brian Carney on Sky and they’ll treat it like fight week in the boxing.

“Then there’s the chapel.. which needs to be seen to be believed.”

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/why-michael-buffer-will-be-at-super-league-opener-as-sky-costs-las-vegas-role-revealed

[Damien]

Oh my talk about cringe. Like a comedy sketch but its actually not:

 

 

Edited February 17 by Damien

[The Rocket]

1 hour ago, Damien said:

Oh my talk about cringe. Like a comedy sketch but its actually not:

 

 

I say why not, no different really to the politicians worldwide falling over themselves to get on the right-side of Trump at the moment.

Rightly or wrongly the NRL could fit right in with Trump`s "macho" view of how things should be done.

Even just to get Trump to mention the NRL`s Vegas venture would be priceless publicity.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 17 by The Rocket

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Damien said:

Oh my talk about cringe. Like a comedy sketch but its actually not:

 

 

Please like us, please like us, please like us ...

[The Rocket]

Pride cometh.....