Players’ Vegas warning
NRL stars need to be wary of ‘sex’ traps
least 40 protection guards will be deployed in a multimillion-dollar NRL operation as the US’s top Super Bowl security boss warned stars of “sex” traps and extortion attempts in Las Vegas.
This masthead can reveal Las Vegas police boss Kendall Bell was called in on Wednesday morning by the NRL to address players and officials from the four clubs ahead of the code’s historic 2024 premiership kick-off in America.
Bell’s address came just 48 hours after the Broncos’ drunken bust-up involving
Adam Reynolds and Pat Carrigan that has triggered fears of a possible NRL scandal in Vegas.
Bell, who was in charge of security at last Monday’s Super Bowl, gave players a chilling insight into why Vegas is known as Sin City, detailing the tricks and potential traps when the NRL caravan arrives.
Bronco Reece Walsh, Souths’ Latrell Mitchell, Roosters champion James Tedesco and Manly’s Queensland Origin skipper Daly Cherry-Evans are part of the briefings. On a landmark occasion for the code, Souths and Manly will play the first club game on US soil on Sunday, March 3 (AEST), followed by the Broncos and Roosters in a doubleheader blockbuster at Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium.
But amid the gala festivities, Bell, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department lieutenant, warned of the Sin City threat entailing sex, drugs, alcohol and blackmail attempts.
The Vegas police powerbroker recounted cases of women targeting married men by studying them online.
The predators would research the net worth of sporting stars before attempting to put them in a compromising position, which they would then use in a strategic blackmail attempt for “hush money” to avoid public shaming.
The NRL is taking the matter of conduct seriously, and expects more than 80 NRL players from the Broncos, Souths, Manly and the Roosters to be exemplary ambassadors in rugby league’s first serious foray Stateside.
The NRL has inked a fiveyear deal to play games in Vegas until the end of 2028 – but a major offshore scandal would leave the code’s potential $200m gaming-and-broadcast incursion into the US in tatters.
It is understood talks have been held for each NRL team to be supplied with 10 security guards – a total of 40 across the four clubs – during their stay.
The clubs will spend at least three days at Vegas, with Brisbane and the Roosters (both Los Angeles) and Souths (San Diego) having a lead-up weekAt long camp before joining Manly, which will be based the entire time in Sin City.
A well-placed source confirmed the NRL would be provided with military-style protection security to minimise the risk of off-field scandals or extortion attempts.
“The Americans are taking this seriously,” the source said.
“They are looking at providing 10 security guards per team, so that’s 40 protection experts for the four teams. These guys specialise in close personal protection. The crew running this NRL operation looked after the recent Super Bowl and they want no dramas for the NRL in Vegas.”