'Biggest breakthrough': Vegas-bound Peter V'landys quizzed on audacious Donald Trump bid
Rugby league supremo Peter V'landys has revealed his team has been chatting "backwards and forwards" with Donald Trump's office since he launched his audacious bid to lure the US president to this year's NRL games in Las Vegas.
V'landys, the chairman of the ARL Commission, also declared that if Trump popped up at Allegiant Stadium to watch the two matches it would mark "the biggest breakthrough for rugby league ever".
9News was at Sydney Airport on Tuesday morning to quiz V'landys on his ambitious pursuit, which even culminated in the heavy-hitter spruiking rugby league and inviting Trump to the games on breakfast television in America.
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"We've been talking to his office, we've been emailing backwards and forwards," V'landys said before jetting out to Las Vegas.
"It was a long shot, [but] I know he likes physical contact sport — there's no more physical contact sport than rugby league.
"So if he wants to be entertained, he should come to the game."
Peter V'landys speaks to 9News at Sydney Airport before jetting out to Las Vegas. Nine
UFC boss Dana White was invited to blow the Raiders' iconic viking horn at Allegiant Stadium ahead of their clash with the Warriors.
But the boss of the billion-dollar fighting league, who lives in Vegas, will not be in town when the NRL puts on a show.
V'landys was asked if he'd leaned on White, a long-time friend of Trump, in his attempt to cajole the president to the games.
"We've leaned on everyone, don't worry about that," V'landys said.
"I don't give up very easily."
V'landys then declared, "If he [Trump] attends, it'll be the biggest breakthrough for rugby league ever", hinting at the astronomical exposure the US president's presence would attract for rugby league.
Meanwhile, former NRL star Josh Morris has branded the media circus surrounding the brawling Raiders "a storm in a teacup".
"I mean, these types of things, they do happen quite a lot in football teams," Morris said on 2GB's Wide World of Sports.
"I think Ricky [Stuart, Canberra's coach] has dealt with it really well. He's got it out of the way, they [Hudson Young and Morgan Smithies] have been named [to play], they've dealt with it in the media, [and] now they can just focus on their footy.
"I don't think it'll be too much of a distraction; if anything it could galvanise the side."
One of the great rugby league stories hit the press when Nine's Danny Weidler and Michael Chammas cottoned on to an incident involving Young and Smithies.
Booze, wrestling that became brawling, a hotel lift, accidentally bumping the emergency button, a blow-up baseball bat purchased on Las Vegas Boulevard that was later mistaken by security for a weapon, and a sheepish apology in front of a hungry Australian press pack — a story almost too good to be true.
"The inflatable baseball bat just shows the seriousness [of the incident]," Morris laughed.
"I think it's unfortunate they hit the emergency exit and stopped the lift. If that didn't happen we probably wouldn't have found out."
Young and Smithies avoided being sent home from Vegas.
They were then named to face the Warriors in Vegas on Saturday afternoon local time, which, if V'landys' wish comes true, they will do in front of Trump.
