NRL Las Vegas launch hits an enormous snag as aircraft carrying the sport’s high bosses pressured to show round and land again in Sydney
A chartered Qantas flight carrying Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo to Las Vegas has been forced to turn around due to an issue with the air conditioning.
Qantas flight 337 took off at 3.20pm on Tuesday for the 13-hour trip to the American city but returned to Sydney Airport shortly after 5.20pm.
Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) chairman V’landys and NRL chief executive Abdo were aboard, along with other NRL management staff, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Newcastle CEO Peter Parr was also said to be on the flight, along with members of the media and a host of Knights fans.
After the plane had returned to Sydney, Qantas engineers carried out repair work to fix the fault. A Qantas spokesperson confirmed to Daily Mail that the flight took off again before 6.30pm.
A flight taking Peter V’landys (left) and Andrew Abdo (right) to Las Vegas was forced to return to Sydney Airport
It is understood that the plane spent one hour in the air before it was forced to return to Sydney due to an air conditioning issue
The NRL’s Las Vegas extravaganza is in full swing, with fans flocking to Sin City to watch this weekend’s season-opening matches.
Newcastle will begin their 2026 campaign against the North Queensland Cowboys at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday. The Canterbury Bulldogs will then take on St George Illawarra Dragons later in the evening, with Super League champions Hull KR also due to take on Leeds Rhinos earlier in the day.
Many NRL executives are expected to be in town for what promises to be a blockbuster weekend of action.
The annual excursion has become a major marketing and corporate event for rugby league bosses, with V’landys and Abdo set to meet multiple executives from clubs not playing this weekend.
The Sydney Morning Herald claims that powerbrokers from all of the Roosters, Eels and Sharks are in town for the footy extravaganza, while bosses from one of the NRL’s newest franchises, the Papua New Guinea Chiefs, are also set to be in Vegas.
Players and coaches from the Knights, Bulldogs, the Cowboys and the Dragons all arrived in Nevada over the weekend, and have had a few days to acclimatise to the conditions.
They have also been able to explore the sights and sounds of Vegas, with Bulldogs managers treating their squad and coaches to a night out watching the Eagles play at The Sphere. Doggies’ bosses have spared no expense on this trip, with the club estimated to have spent AU$50,000 to hire out the Las Vegas Raiders’ training complex for a day.
Newcastle, meanwhile, sat down for a team dinner at the Stanton Social Italian restaurant at Caesars Palace. The Knights spent Monday training at the UFC gym in Vegas.
The Sydney Morning Herald claims that bosses from all of the Roosters, Eels and Sharks are in town for the footy extravaganza this week
North Queensland Cowboys have been in training in Vegas this week after touching down in Sin City over the weekend
Sunday’s triple header at the Allegiant Stadium will see the North Queensland Cowboys face off against Newcastle Knights, while the Canterbury Bulldogs will play St George Illawarra
Another big name from the world of Australian politics, Joe Hockey, is also reportedly set to be in town this weekend for the footy festival.
The former Australian Ambassador to the United States is a board member of the Perth Bears.
He also holds a good relationship with US President Donald Trump, with the pair previously having played golf together. He believes that while the President won’t be able to attend the NRL season-opener, but told the Sydney Morning Herald: ‘I wouldn’t put it past him to watch it on TV.’
Earlier this week, the NRL published its 2025 annual report in which league bosses revealed that the competition has earned a whopping $845.6million in revenue.
It is a record-breaking figure, which has jumped $100.7m since 2024, with NRL Las Vegas having played a huge role in expanding the league’s exposure to new audiences.
‘The season delivered extraordinary performance outcomes for rugby league, cementing our now established position as Australia’s – and the Pacific’s – No.1 sport,’ V’landys explained.
He added: ‘Financially, the game has never been stronger. Consistent annual increases in revenue and surpluses have compounded over consecutive years, enabling increased funding for players, clubs, states and grassroots while also increasing our capacity to invest further into new revenue-generating assets.
‘And the future is even brighter, with the Perth Bears to join the NRL Premiership in 2027 and the Papua New Guinea Chiefs to enter from 2028.’
