Cooper Johns tagged “perfect fit” for NRL-US cross-sport TV concept

Cooper Johns, son of rugby league legend Matty Johns, has been pegged as the "perfect fit" for a proposed TV show aimed at selling rugby league to American audiences.

According to a report by Fox Sports, the show is being pitched by Australian ex-pat Ray Simmons, the same producer involved in bringing State of Origin to California in 1987.

The show would hope to blend NRL highlights, interviews, and lifestyle content with NFL and college football coverage.

Matty Johns and his sons, Cooper and Jack, arrived in Las Vegas on Sunday as Simmons prepares to pitch the concept to Fox Sports executives.

“You've not only got the NRL now here in Las Vegas, but you've also got the NFL looking to grow itself globally, too," Simmons stated.

“So why not create a program that combines the two?

“And someone like Cooper Johns would be the perfect fit. Or you could go with Jake Duke, or even Cooper Cronk …”

If successful, the show could mark a major step in taking rugby league to a wider international audience, with Las Vegas at the centre of the plan.