An urgent meeting has reportedly been scheduled between the four clubs scheduled to open the 2024 NRL season in Las Vegas, the NRL, and the Australian Rugby League Commission.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs, Manly Sea Eagles, Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters will all make the trip to the United States of America ahead of the first premiership games for competition points to be played outside of Australia and New Zealand.
In a five-year commitment, every NRL team will eventually make the trip to the United States to play in Las Vegas, but the four clubs slated for the first trip have run into roadblocks that will need to be urgently sorted out ahead of the March 2 (March 3 Australian time) kick-off to the 2024 season.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, teams have expressed concerns over the fact there has been a lack of information over visas, medical insurance and training venues.
It's understood teams have requested meetings with the NRL and CEO Andrew Abdo dating back as far as December 16, and have now asked Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'Landys to be involved citing the NRL's lack of urgency in determining the issues.
The new urgency over the meeting comes with changed advice from the NRL over players obtaining visas to enter the USA, with three options now presented for clubs, being an athletes visa, a visitors visa and an ESTA.
Clubs are understood to have been warned that any player who has been previously arrested by police in Australia could have challenges passing US customs.
The NRL have acknowledged the challenge over the unique games, with the NRL for the first time facing the challenge of organising an event in the USA that will involve four teams, including players, staff and club authorities from all four outfits, but insist solutions will be in place.
