Las Vegas: The Eagles’ much acclaimed run at the Sphere is the biggest show in Las Vegas at the moment.

The legendary band has played dozens of concerts at the state-of-the-art, immersive venue since 2024, the latest on Saturday night local time, with the 18,000-strong crowd including the Canterbury Bulldogs squad.

Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton will be one of the stars in Vegas.Credit: NRL Photos

After arriving in town on Thursday, it was the last chance for Cameron Ciraldo’s highly fancied team to get a taste of the nightlife before getting down to business at training on Sunday.

Their opponents here next weekend, St George Illawarra, were also heading for an evening out after landing on Saturday, the last of the four clubs to arrive for the third edition of the NRL’s roll of the dice in Las Vegas.

Newcastle and North Queensland players were given similar latitude a week out from their first-round meeting, and from all reports, there has yet to be an inflatable baseball bat swung in anger.

Between them, the Knights, Cowboys and Dragons boast an array of stars such as Kalyn Ponga, Tom Dearden and Valentine Holmes.

Newcastle’s Kalyn Ponga and North Queensland’s Reuben Cotter.Credit: NRL Photos

But it is the Bulldogs, considered the only genuine premiership contenders among the quartet of NRL sides in action in Las Vegas, who shape as the headline act.

They also have, by the far, the largest contingent in the United States. Not only did they add two players to the standard touring party of 22, covering the cost themselves, but they have brought the entire front-office staff along, too, as a reward for a successful year off the field in 2025 as well as on it. The total Canterbury roll call, taking in players, coaching staff and other employees? Eighty five.

© The Sydney Morning Herald