SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 10: Ronaldo Mulitalo of the Sharks celebrates with his team mates after scoring a try during the round five NRL match between the Cronulla Sharks and the Wests Tigers at PointsBet Stadium, on April 10, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Plans for a game in the USA to kick start the 2023 season might be hanging in the balance, but that hasn't stopped Cronulla Sharks' CEO Dino Mezzatesta from calling on the NRL to increase global expansion efforts.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs and Manly Sea Eagles have long been touted to kick-off an NRL season in the United States of America.
South Sydney are partly owned by Russel Crowe, while Manly's number one fan is Hugh Jackman, with the duo likely to be used by the NRL to push the product and game in the USA.
The idea of playing an NRL game for competition points in the USA was originally pushed back by the coronavirus pandemic.
That has ultimately fallen over now for next year with the Rabbitohs pulling out of the proposed contest last week in a move that came as a surprise given previous comments from those inside the club, including CEO Blake Solly.
Manly are still pushing ahead with the plan, although time is running out to get the game organised and find an opponent.
Speaking to AAP, Sharks' CEO Dino Mezzatesta said a global round should become part of the NRL's future planning, rather than simply focusing on two teams in one market, while also finding a way to loop the rest of the games into country and regional Australia.
"I think you'd get more," Mezzatesta told AAP.
"Rather than just tackling one country and saying that's done, and there is only two teams involved, it probably makes sense to try and do a multi-faceted weekend and try and do a few nations.
"You would have eight clubs playing in four different countries, and then another eight could be part of something different (back home).
"Because while we talk about the global platform, there is also a massive appetite in the regions (in country Australia)."
AAP reports most clubs would be open to playing games internationally from 2024, however, the 2022 World Cup and shortened post-season has most steering away for 2023, likely leaving Manly with no opponent and the chances of a game in the States early next year on the scrapheap.