League icon Phil Gould is confident that the NRL can maintain a four-match format in Las Vegas, as long as the matches remain competitive and the scheduling is meticulously planned.
The NRL’s recent return to Las Vegas for another attempt at capturing the American audience was deemed a ratings triumph, although not every game attracted the viewer numbers that league executives had hoped for.
The Raiders’ impressive 30-8 win over the Warriors drew in 371,000 viewers via the FOX free-to-air television channel — a significant success for the inaugural NRL fixture.
George Williams of the Warrington Wolves, Liam Farrell of the Wigan Warriors, Kezie Apps of the Australian Jillaroos, Cameron McInnes of the Cronulla Sharks, Isaah Yeo of the Penrith Panthers, Mitchell Barnett of the Warriors, and Joseph Tapine of the Canberra Raiders represented their clubs at the NRL Las Vegas media launch. Ethan Miller via Getty Images
However, viewer numbers dropped sharply for the second NRL match at Allegiant Stadium, with the Panthers vs. Sharks encounter attracting only 33,000 spectators.
Despite the clash between two heavyweights in the competition being a thrilling prospect, it’s believed that the previous unbalanced women’s Test match between the Jillaroos and England may have dampened interest, with viewers disengaging during the 90-4 rout.
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The opening Super League game featuring Wigan and Warrington also ended in a blowout, only salvaged by a few consolation tries scored by the Wolves.
After the event, ARLC chairman Peter V’landys acknowledged that a four-match format “was likely too ambitious” and that the rugby league festival would likely scale back to three games in the following year.
With just over 45,000 fans in attendance, varying turnout was also raised as a concern by V’landys.
It has been suggested that the Jillaroos might be removed from the program following their overwhelming win over England, which caused many fans to exit the stadium early.
Despite this, Gould opines that the solution could simply be to schedule the women’s match earlier in the day.
The Canterbury chief was in Las Vegas advocating for his Bulldogs to be a part of next year’s event and expressed no qualms about experiencing all four matches consecutively.
“I believe the NRL will take away valuable lessons from the day,” he shared on the Wide World of Sports podcast Six Tackles with Gus.
“I don’t think four matches is excessive if they are the right matches.
“We did caution them (the NRL). We predicted this would be a blowout. England simply couldn’t compete with our girls,” Gould explained.
“Our women have been actively competing in these matches and representative games for several years; the UK is still in the early stages of developing their women’s competition. They have a lot of progress to make before they can rival the level of play we’re showcasing.”
Gould also highlighted that the timing of the matches affected the overall viewing experience.
“Scheduling the (women’s Test) match in between the two NRL games at that time of day was not ideal,” he noted.
While there have been recommendations for the NRL to host the Las Vegas extravaganza over two days instead of one, Gould argued that the resolution isn’t that straightforward.
“There are various reasons for this,” he commented.
“Considerations such as the costs associated with opening the stadium, managing crowd entry and exit, and the likelihood of fans returning for two consecutive days come into play.
“They may only have access to the venue for one day. These details are still unclear.”
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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