The NRL's Las Vegas season-opener has emerged as the perfect launch pad for a premiership tilt with all four of this year's teams preparing to play finals football next month.
Canberra lead the charge at the top of the ladder, with the Warriors currently fourth, Cronulla sixth and Penrith seventh. All four teams are locked into the eight with two games to play.
The success overcomes the notion that early-season travel can derail a team's campaign and Raiders hooker Tom Starling said his side used the time away to lay the foundation for their premiership charge.
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"It was an exciting experience for all of us and the club," Starling told 94ddz.com. "It was a great trip, a once in a lifetime experience. We still pinch ourselves about the times we had over there and the experiences the club put on for us.
"They played the Super Bowl there a couple of years ago so it was cool to go over there and play in front of a huge crowd in a new stadium in America. It was one hell of a way to kick off the year.
"We enjoy travelling as a team. It's a great bonding opportunity. We also went up to Darwin, Townsville, Brisbane and they're the things you look back on and talk about when your career is done.
"As a team you're going away with a group of your mates and we took it as a chance to bond. The key part of our success is that tightness and that's due to the travel we had together."
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The NRL will , with more than 50,000 fans set to pack into Allegiant Stadium for the season opener.
The Bulldogs will take on the Dragons and Newcastle will face North Queensland, while English Super League clubs Hull KR and Leeds will also do battle.
The teams have looked to what has worked over the past two years as they plan for successful trips to the United States.
While the players take centre stage on the field, Sharks CEO Dino Mezzatesta said it's a club-wide effort to prepare for the experience.
The pay off, he said, was clear when the team returned to Australia following a tight loss to the Panthers.
The Sharks have set a new membership record in 2025, while commercial revenue also continues to grow. Mezzatesta credits the Vegas bump for providing extensive exposure and generating interest both domestically and in the US.
"Although we didn't get the win it was such a big success for the club," Mezzatesta told 94ddz.com. "We took the brand overseas and it was a great experience for the fans and members who follow us.
"When we came back we were still riding on a high. The players, coaching staff and everyone at the club was appreciative of the experience.
"When we came back we had a tough run with travel and it does knock you around a little bit but we knew the second half we'd spend more time at home. It was a great way to kick off the season and we're riding off the back of that experience to give ourselves a chance to compete for a title."
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All four teams travelling to Vegas next year are deep in the planning process for the trip, with training camps and schedules starting to be locked in.
Officials from each of the clubs will travel to the US at the end of the season for a scouting mission and to finalise more details.
St George Illawarra initially considered a training camp in Hawaii on the way to Las Vegas but are instead planning to travel straight to the city for a week-long preparation.
The Knights are also looking to fly straight to Vegas to ensure there are no hiccups throughout the week.
Incoming Head of Football Chris James was in charge of the Roosters' trip to the US in 2024 and has been tasked with organising the Knights' 2026 venture.
The Roosters opted to stay in Los Angeles before travelling to Vegas closer to game day. While the move had its benefits, the additional travel demands proved challenging for players and staff.
Despite this, the tricolours defeated the Broncos before surging up the ladder to finish the year inside the top four.
James learnt plenty of lessons in 2024 and said it's important to enjoy the experience while ensuring the players are focused on the task of winning a football game.
"You've got to play really well then you've got to recover well when you get back," James told 94ddz.com. "A trip like this needs to give you energy, not take energy away.
"Some clubs could use it as an excuse when they come back, say they're fatigued or there's a hangover of going too hard. As a club, we're going to say this is something that will give us energy.
"We'll jump into Round 1 with a very different looking team to what we've got this year with some exciting players back from injury and some new signings. It will be a springboard to a new season, which is what the Roosters did in that first year."
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Penrith secured a win in Vegas, but endured a tricky period upon returning to Australia.
Injuries and fatigue from four-straight premierships seemed to catch up with the Panthers and they struggled on the field.
Ivan Cleary's side eventually steadied the ship, winning nine-straight matches to book their place in the finals and utility Brad Schneider said the Vegas experience played a key role in their mid-season surge.
"The whole Vegas trip was a good experience," Schneider told 94ddz.com. "The build-up was like a grand final, with so much hype around it. It was such a good experience to be able to play over there and to get the win.
"Everyone has benefited from it, especially when it comes to big games. It had that big game feeling around it, which will be beneficial in the next few weeks."
Travel packages for the NRL's season-opener in Las Vegas are selling fast.
