Warrington Wolves head of coaching and rugby Tony Smith has revealed that he has been on an eye-opening mission over in America in recent weeks, visiting NFL side San Francisco 49ers.
Whilst Smith admits a lot of the trip was about getting some rest ahead of the upcoming season, Smith did reveal that he’d been watching the 49ers to gain some tips ahead of Super League XX, which begins in earnest next February.
“They call it ‘lock down’ and they don’t usually let anyone in during their actual season,” he explained.
“It was mainly to go and watch and I have a mate who works for them. It was a bit more pleasure than anything else, but it’s always an experience to go and have a look at particularly how the American sports are marketed.
“It’s unbelievable. Also, how much they’re analysed by the media as well, it’s incredible.
“It’s 24/7 in terms of analysing their sports so it’s an eye-opener every time you go over there.”
