Las Vegas is calling for Leeds' Brodie Croft

ONE mention of Las Vegas and the smile across Brodie Croft’s face is instantly as big as the Bellagio Fountains. 

Leeds Rhinos’ silky Aussie stand-off is one of Super League’s main star attractions. 

Hugely gifted and exciting to watch, he’s graced the competition, won Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel, delivered some stunning performances and, before heading to the UK, featured as Melbourne Storm beat his current employers in a World Club Challenge. 

Croft’s seen and done plenty. But for the amiable Queenslander, who played alongside current Kangaroos stars Harry Grant and Patrick Carrigan when captaining their State of Origin Under 20s side, playing the game he loves Stateside is just another level. 

He explained: “It’s one of those things that when you look back on your career, you're like, ‘Jeez, I've got to play a game of rugby league in Vegas!'

“Not many people can say that. I've watched bits and pieces of the event so far the last couple of years and it’s really exciting.  

“I mean, probably, it is really a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

“I haven't ever been to Vegas. I've never been to America. I can’t wait.” 

Leeds, of course, face champions Hull KR in Sin City on Saturday as part of the annual rugby league bonanza in the entertainment capital of the world. 

The NRL stated the initiative in 2024 when taking two of its opening round games to Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium in a bid to try and help globalise the sport. 

They did the same last year when Super League also joined the party for the first time, reigning champions Wigan Warriors thrashing Warrington Wolves. 

This time Leeds and the Robins have been chosen to represent the competition as it heads once more to US soil , the NRL picks being Newcastle Knights versus North Queensland Cowboys and Canterbury Bulldogs against St George-Illawarra Dragons. 

Ahead of sampling the unique razzmatazz and eye-opening myriad of Vegas’ entertainment scene, Croft, 28, conceded: “I've know I’ve never been, but it's obviously crazy, the whole experience. 

“You just look at our itinerary and everything that's going on throughout the week. All your rugby league fans are going over and it's a good excuse for them to go see it. 

“We really want to lap it up and enjoy the experience but we're still obviously going there to get a job done: you really enjoy yourselves if we do get the result.  

“That will come on the back of doing our processes and having a really strong week leading up preparation-wise. And then into the match...” 

Rhinos are fully aware of what it will take to beat Rovers, who backed up last year’s historic Treble with Thursday’s scintillating World Club Challenge victory over NRL champions Brisbane Broncos at a sold-out MKM Stadium. 

Croft, who played 26 NRL games for Brisbane before heading to Salford Red Devils in 2022, admitted: “You just know what you're going to get with Hull KR.  

“They're a very physical team, well-coached, with really strong systems in place. And you can tell that everyone knows their job on that team. 

"So for us, we've got to do the same, haven't we? We have to do all our jobs, do our systems and back ourselves in those moments. It comes down to moments. In those games, it's most likely going to be a tight affair. 

“It always is against KR. But we are really looking forward to it. 

“It's a big occasion already - just going to Vegas – but to face a team like KR on the back of a great performance like they produced against Brisbane, it does get you really excited for it.” 

Just 24 hours after the Robins’ glory in their maiden World Club Challenge, Leeds got their Super League season up and running with a 46-14 over York Knights. 

Rhinos had lost their opening game at Leigh Leopards, just as KR did at York. 

But they clicked into gear on Friday with Croft one of many to ooze class, claiming player of the match when scoring a try, lending a hand in plenty of others and producing a series of dazzling runs. 

He added: “That was really pleasing, particularly after the previous week. 
 
“We didn't quite hit the standards [at Leigh] that we have set ourselves so it was really pleasing that we had a response this week. And I thought the boys had an overall professional performance. 
 
“There were a few soft tries there that we probably wouldn't have liked to leak. So, we'll look back on that in this week's review. But as a whole, I thought we put in a strong performance. 
 
“And it was really pleasing that we could move on to Vegas knowing we got through injury-free.” 

One fascinating match-up at the 65,000 capacity stadium which sits nearby to the world-famous Strip will be Croft’s battle with England star Mikey Lewis, another former Man of Steel winner. 

He said: “I enjoy playing up against any of the form half-backs of the league, and yeah, Mikey's no different. 
“He's a real character, and I think it's good for the game, players like him. “You know what you're going to get with him, so obviously we've got to be on our game ourselves to shut players like him down.” 

But Leeds have the reigning Man of Steel in Jake Connor, Croft’s mercurial half-back partner who successful returned from injury against York to prove to boss Brad Arthur he’s good to go and try to light up Vegas. 

Croft said: “It’s great to have a player like Jake back. 

“He frees up the whole team. It’s pretty cool to see what we can do. 

“But Vegas itself just gives rugby league that exposure, doesn't it?  

“It's not like we're trying to take over the American market - there's a pretty massive sport market there as it is - but it's good for rugby league if you can just tap into a little bit of that and just get eyeballs that you wouldn't normally get on the game itself.  

“That's only going to help expand the great game of rugby league.”

By Dave Craven

Hull KR and Leeds Rhinos' Vegas clash will take place at the Allegiant Stadium, live on Sky Sports (Saturday 28 February, K.O. 4pm Vegas time, Sunday 1 March, K.O. 12am UK time).

This hotly-anticipated event will be available to watch live and exclusively on Sky Sports.