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LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Fox League expert analyst Michael Ennis has a “feeling” that “one of our superstars is going to do something incredible this weekend.”
And he believes it could be Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam.
Ennis sat down with the Fox League Podcast to preview the Rabbitohs vs Sea Eagles and Roosters vs Broncos games – which make up a historic Round 1 double-header that will be played at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas on Saturday (Sunday local time).
He said the final days leading up to the games “are going to be amazing” and believes this is a “really iconic period for the game.”
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Both games will be broadcast on Fox League and Fox Sports 1 in America, meaning they could reach over 100 million viewers.
That might be why Ennis gets the sense that “this is worth a little more than just the two points.”
He believes there’s “a different pressure around it” — and that the last couple of weeks could be crucial to the four teams’ success this season.
“We’ll be sleeping, don’t you worry!” | 00:55
“In the grand scheme of things it is just another game worth two points but it’s the eyeballs that are on this game,” he said.
“It’s just such a different atmosphere an environment that the players will be nervous, absolutely they will be.
“Every team wants to start the season well but it feels like this is worth more than two points for some reason.
“It just feels like there’s so much to this that 12-day the teams have had, whether it be in Vegas, San Diego or LA, it’s such a unique time where you get to spend so much time living out of each other’s pockets that you can really set your season up with a good win.
“But it could be a painful loss too. It’s a long way home and a long way to dwell.”
Ennis, who will be calling the two games for Fox League admitted that as a broadcaster the buzz “puts you on the edge of your seat.”
He added: “You know you’re going to see the best and we’ve got some of the best here.”
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Ennis expects Jake Trbojevic, Victor Radley, Cameron Murray, Pat Carrigan to “be pivotal through the middle,” for their respective teams, while he believes we’ll still see the likes of Reece Walsh, Tolu Koula, Tom Trbojevic, Latrell Mitchell and James Tedesco “mark their moments on the game” despite the smaller field.
But there’s one player that Ennis singled out that he thinks could really steal the show at Allegiant Stadium.
“I just think because of the occasion one of our superstars is going to do something incredible this weekend — I’ve just got that feeling,” he said.
“It might be Ezra Mam. There’s a couple of blokes — Reece Walsh is one and Ezra’s another — that I don’t think will be overawed by this place.
“There’ll be some that may overthink it and buy into everything around the field size, the stadium and Las Vegas itself. Then there’s others that just thrive in that environment.
“I saw it in the second half of that grand final with Ezra and I just feel like he’s building. I love him as a player and I feel like he’s going to do something special this weekend.”
Small field tactics at centre stage | 01:39
Fans might see Tom Trbojevic make a statement too after Ennis — who has been working with the Sea Eagles – said the star No.1’s pre-season “has been as good as I’ve seen from any individual.”
Then there’s Broncos powerhouse Payne Haas.
His teammate Pat Carrigan told the Fox League Podcast that some of the LA Rams players were really impressed by the towering prop while Brisbane were training at the Rams’ facilities.
And Ennis can absolutely see the 24-year-old garnering attention from the NFL.
“Payne is incredible,” he said.
“While there’s been a lot spoken about the combine over here and looking for some hidden gems in the states, I would be highly surprised if some of the NFL sides don’t see Payne and just go ‘my gosh, what an athlete’.
“He is 115kg, lightning quick, huge motor and so physical.”
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