Consider it in the rugby league equivalent of booking a dream hliday, only to find your destination embroiled in chaos.
The NRL had grand plans, with Abu Dhabi, perhaps London or even Hong Kong or Japan.
A true global round, the kind that would beam the game into living rooms the world hadn't yet claimed as NRL territory.
Then the Middle East was shaken abruptly.
When the US and Israel launched aerial strikes on Iran on February 28, it didn't just redraw geopolitical lines, it quietly reshuffled the NRL's travel itinerary.
Abu Dhabi, a financial city that had been dangling considerable financial incentives to lure a marquee match, found itself among the cities absorbing Iranian bombardment.
In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, ARL Commission Chairman Peter V'landys is ready to use his ambition to choose and find alternative locations
“What is happening in Iran has certainly made us wary as to what we do next year,” V'landys said.
“We're still very keen to play a game in Abu Dhabi or London, but there's no way we'll take any risks. We'd have to announce something in the next month or six weeks. We'll have a clearer picture in the next month.
“London would be the priority, then Abu Dhabi. There are 700,000 Australians living in London at any one time, there's the natural interest in Super League, and we want to promote our Watch NRL overseas app, and we believe we can get millions of dollars in new revenues.
“Abu Dhabi also has great appeal, and we've been offered a lot of money to take a game there.
“Japan and Hong Kong have also been on our list. Depending on what happens, we might have to focus on playing a game closer to home.”
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