Saab soars as Manly become first team to leave Las Vegas with two competition points

Playing on the world’s biggest stage, on the world’s smallest field, the Fastest Man in Rugby League hit open space.

Jason Saab is away. Streaking down the right touchline, a supreme athlete in motion on his way to the local equivalent of a touchdown, this is the moment that America falls in love with rugby league, right?

And then … the unthinkable. The Fastest Man in Rugby League doesn’t get there. Not even close.

There is no try, no post-try celebration, no lucrative NFL contract for Jason Saab. All because the Fastest Man in Rugby League is chased down and brought to the ground by an ankle tap.

It is still a great rugby league moment for the purists, due to the pursuit of relentless Rabbitoh Lachlan Ilias. A Sattler-esque save in the States. Brilliant, but different, because nothing is quite the same when you’re playing on a field five metres skinnier in Las Vegas.

Jason Saab streaks away to score a try.

Had it been played on a regulation pitch, with the requisite room to move down the sideline, no one lays a hand on Saab. All was not lost for the Manly winger, however.

Later in the opening half, the Fastest Man in Rugby League latched onto an errant Latrell Mitchell pass, ran to the end zone, touched down, threw the American-themed ball into the crowd and the fan who caught it didn’t have to throw it back.

Vegas, baby.

Some things are different when footy is played here, but others stay the same. Like when Latrell Mitchell decides he is the showman that everyone has come to see. It happened when he was confronted by a wall of defence that he ran through, or the no-look pass that found an unmarked Alex Johnson, or the sideline conversion he nailed after having to step outside of the undersized playing surface.

The referees still get booed, like when they make a decision to (correctly) disallow a try to Tom Trbojevic.

The Sea Eagles celebrate during their win over South Sydney in Las Vegas.

The biggest concern prior to kick-off was that the spectacle presented to first timers would be suboptimal. That the combination of travel, early season rust, a smaller field and the distractions of Sin City would result in rugby league presenting a version that wasn’t its best self.

Instead, the first game on US soil was a belter. Seven tries, three lead changes, few dropped balls. Both teams had wildly different preparations, but arrived in Allegiant Stadium ready to play.

“I thought it was quality footy played by both teams,” said Manly coach Anthony Seibold. “They were down a couple of backs, we were down a couple of forwards, so it made for a very even game, I thought.

“One of the things I was most proud of from our group was when we were behind, 20-12 I think it was, we kept fighting. That’s what we want from our group, keep fighting hard, play our style of footy.”

Reuben Garrick scored and then spiked the Steeden. Luke Brooks scored in his Sea Eagles debut, completing a remarkable journey from Leichhardt to Las Vegas. And then with four minutes left, a hamstring drama stopped the Fastest Man in Rugby League.

“We’re not just representing Manly, we’re not just fighting for two points,” said Sea Eagles skipper Daly Cherry-Evans.

“We are trying to get the game exposure over here. As a player, you try not to think too much about those bigger-picture things, you’re just trying to go out there and play at your best.

“But I hope the Americans have taken notice, I hope they enjoyed tonight … If we can make an impact and it’s a bigger picture thing, it’s great for our game.”

Adrian Proszenko’s trip to Las Vegas was funded by the NRL.

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