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LAS VEGAS, Nevada — From claiming the wooden spoon in 2020 to playing in a grand final in 2023 and then kicking off this season with a game in Las Vegas, Pat Carrigan has summed up his last four years as a “whirlwind.”
The Broncos star sat down with the Fox League Podcast at Resorts World, Vegas, in the lead-up to the NRL’s historic double-header at Allegiant Stadium and couldn’t contain his excitement after arriving from Los Angeles just an hour earlier.
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“I just got to Vegas and this place is blowing my mind. I didn’t expect to walk into an airport and see pokies machines straight away. Broncs take Vegas, how good,” he said.
“We drove past the Sphere, that place is huge. There’s that many neon lights in this place it’s ridiculous so I’ve been off with the pixies. But it’s sick.
“I know you always believe in yourself and want to be in these moments but even to think we’re in Vegas… Who would’ve ever put that on the NRL cards pre-Covid or post-wooden spoon?
“We lost the grand final last year but then we got to come to Vegas for Round 1 this year so a little bit of a trade-off makes it a bit better.”
The Broncos will face the Roosters in the second of two matches on Saturday (Sunday AEDT). It will be the first time they play since a heartbreaking two-point loss to the Panthers in last year’s grand final after leading by 16 points with 14 minutes to go.
Carrigan said they aren’t looking to amends, but rather want to just get back on the field to finally move onto the next chapter.
“It’s all bottled up,” he said of the emotions.
“That’s the way you end the year and then you go missing for three or four months so it just feels weird.
“I think everyone is keen to get out and play again, to experience that feeling of running out (at Allegiant Stadium) in a Broncos jersey. It’s a once in a lifetime (opportunity) to kick the NRL season off here in Vegas.”
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The Broncos have spent the last week based in Thousand Oaks, California and trained at the LA Rams facilities – a “pretty cool” experience for Carrigan, who is a big NFL fan.
“They’re in the process of getting a new facility so I’ve heard they’re not as glammed up as some of the other places. But they won a Super Bowl there a couple of years ago,” he said.
“They’ve got a few mantras, their coach is pretty big on that they can win out of any facility so that was their go-to. We met some of those boys and there are some big, big dudes in the NFL.
“They’re in off-season but there’s been a few of them getting around. Cooper Kupp was there today, he’s a wide receiver on like $30 million a year — he’s a big dog in the NFL.”
A big advantage of training at an NFL team’s facility is the field is the same size as the one at Allegiant Stadium — which will be six metres shorter and five metres narrower than a regular NRL field.
“Courtesy of the Rams we’ve been training on one all week so we’ve been pretty lucky,” Carrigan said of the modified field.
“It’s different, it feels a lot tighter. I think the fullbacks will have their work cut out for them and it will be a bit of a bashathon in the middle — I’m sure that’s what everyone wants to come and see.
“You’re going to have to go straight through the front door. We’ve got a big test against the Chooks because they love to play that way.
“I reckon the Chooks are stacked (this year). They’re a quality organisation, have a good coach and their team is really good.
“Any team that has Teddy leading it is going to be good. They’re a massive test over here for us.”
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The NRL hopes to get as many American eyeballs on the two games as possible with them being shown LIVE on Fox Sports USA 1, which reaches 100 million people.
When asked what will shock American spectators the most, Carrigan said the “obvious answer is the no pads and brutality” but he believes the “speed and how continuous it is” will be surprising too — especially after an experience the Bronco had with Rams players.
“We’ve had a few Rams boys around the facilities and a couple of o-line boys were pretty fascinated by Payne Haas with his size,” he revealed.
“Our coaching staff were explaining to them that he will play an 80-minute game and run 10kms.
“I know they’re definitely fascinated that people that big can move like that so athletically, they’re pretty impressed.
“But America loves contact and brutality and that’s what I think the NRL brings.
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Because the Broncos aren’t the ‘home’ team in their game, they have to hold their captains runs at the Las Vegas Raiders’ headquarters rather than Allegiant Stadium.
But Carrigan isn’t too fussed over that because “apparently their facilities are nuts, so we’re not slumming it.”
They will, however, get a chance to do a walk-through of Allegiant Stadium on Friday — which is what Carrigan has been looking forward to the most.
“I think that’s what I’m most eager for, just to get a feel for it and let reality hit in,” he said.
It goes without saying that Saturday will be a big moment in Carrigan’s career — as it will be for the other 67 players that will take the field.
“Watching the Super Bowl the other week and to think we’re playing on the same ground is a proper pinch yourself moment,” he said.
“I’ll look back after the game, to say you’ve played in Las Vegas… to be a part of the first weekend and showcase the game to American people where you get to give them their first taste is pretty cool.
“This is definitely going to be a career highlight.
“I feel like I’m just ticking off (bucket list) things left, right and centre.”
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