NRL great Johnathan Thurston says Super League has been a welcome addition to the Las Vegas party this week. Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves will go head to head at the Allegiant Stadium in Sin City this weekend with the two clubs opening up a quadruple header of rugby league action at the home of Las Vegas Raiders.
The two sides have been followed to Nevada by more than 10,000 fans, with Wigan and Warrington supporters being some of the loudest and proudest across the city over the last few days as they make the most of the experience. English supporters will be outnumbered at the stadium on Saturday with tens of thousands of making the trip from Down Under.
However, the Super League fanbase has already shown that the European competition needs to be part of next year’s event once more and NRL bosses have been blown away by the support, by all accounts.
Thurston has been mightily impressed, too, and he’s delighted to see the Super League sides get on the Las Vegas act.
“Last year there was two games, we’ve got the four games this year and the Jillaroos are playing the England side, Wigan-Warrington, the Sharks and Penrith and the Wahs and Canberra,” Thurston said while speaking at the Rugby League Las Vegas Fan event on Fremont Street. “It’s great to have more content here in Vegas, we’re growing the game and showing how tough and brutal it is.
“It’s always great to see the Enlgish fans, I played over in England a few times and one of my greatest memories was playing Leeds in the World Club Challenge. I went and jumped in the stands and they were singing ‘sign him up, sign him up’.
“To have two sides from England and the Super League playing over here, it’s brought loads of supporters over as well.”
