Las Vegas, a city built around extravagance and opulence, with the blinking bright lights of giant electric billboards, garish neon signs and enormous flashing video screens, feels about as far away from the traditional northern England rugby league heartlands as its possible to get.

Within hours of the final Steeden being kicked on Allegiant Stadium on Saturday night, the NRL was taking a victory lap after a successful second foray into Las Vegas.

No one has mastered the art of putting on a big show better than Las Vegas. And, for the second consecutive year opening its season in Sin City, the National Rugby League was up to the task, delivering a week-long show of its own,

Halftime entertainment at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as the Canberra Raiders and NZ Warriors take a break from play.