NRL in Las Vegas: Penrith Panthers rally late at the Allegiant Stadium as Canberra Raiders ease to victory
A late score from Daine Laurie gave Penrith Panthers victory over the Cronulla Sharks; Canberra Raiders beat the New Zealand Warriors comfortably in the NRL opener as 50,000 fans watch on in Vegas; Sky Sports is the only place to watch NRL and Super League live this year
Sunday 2 March 2025 08:46, UK
Reigning Premiership winners Penrith Panthers produced an exciting late victory as Canberra Raiders eased to a first win of the season as NRL went Stateside at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
An exciting day of action ensued as Rugby League travelled crossed continents in its continuing mission to convert Americans to football without pads, drawing 50,000 fans to Allegiant stadium where the grit of the sport mixed with the glamour of the entertainment capital.
- Las Vegas 2025: Super League's chance to write its name into American folklore?
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Curious locals mixed with traveling fans of teams from Australia, New Zealand and England on a day that saw four matches: two from Australia's National Rugby League (NRL), one from England's Super League and a women's international between world champion Australia and England.
The day delivered tries galore, big hits and a cliff-hanger finale. The NRL has committed until 2028 to play regular season matches in Las Vegas as part of a strategic plan to win an international audience for the sport.
Australia has been courting the US market since 1987 when it played a State of Origin match between New South Wales and Queensland in Long Beach. Sunday's crowd was an improvement on last season when 40,746 people watched the Manly Sea Eagles play the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Sydney Roosters play the Brisbane Broncos.
Raiders rampant in victory over NZ Warriors
Seb Kris scored the first try of the 2025 season after six minutes and added another as the Canberra Raiders eased to a 30-8 win over the New Zealand Warriors.
Xavier Savage also scored a double and Matthew Timoko added a try from a sharp, well-directed Raiders attack. Kurt Capewell and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck scored tries for the Warriors who made too many handling errors to produce a sustained attacking threat. The Warriors also were lax defensively, missing 40 tackles in the opening match of the NRL season.
Panthers win thriller against Sharks
Reigning title-winners the Penrith Panthers delivered a cliff-hanger finale, producing a 75th minute try to Daine Laurie to clinch a 28-22 win over the Cronulla Sharks.
The Panthers led 12-10 at halftime and 22-10 after 52 minutes with tries to Isaah Yeo, Izack Tago, Laurie and Paul Alamoti. But the Sharks rallied strongly with second half tries to Kayal Iro and Addin Fonua-Blake to cut the lead to two points.
Laurie's late try allowed the Panther's to celebrate coach Ivan Cleary's 55th birthday in Vegas.
As well as the NRL action, Sky Sports will again show every game of the Super League live this season - including two matches in each round exclusively live, with the remaining four matches each week shown on Sky Sports+
