Mixing
Jake ‘The Snake’ bites the Kiwis and wants to do it again in America
25th June 2018,
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JAKE ‘The Snake’ is back on America’s sporting landscape – the job now is keeping him there.
His first impact certainly answered a few snakes at the NRL, as well as a couple of flamin’ golars!
Jake Connor can declare himself a member of the Mile High club after a dazzling debut as England eventually dominated at the home of NFL giants Denver Broncos.
The Hull man, known as The Snake, and Elliott Whitehead stole the show, the former making two tries and scoring one, the latter the opposite way around.
But the start of rugby league’s American dream was about more than what happened on the pitch and the governing body Down Under will fight future clashes.
Showing the sport to a new audience was the aim and 19,320 – 9,000 MORE than England’s World Cup games in Sydney and Melbourne last year – attended.
It is also more than MLS side Colorado Rapids’ average and more than Denver’s next biggest suitable stadium can hold.
Connor, 23, was more taken by things on the pitch, although he admitted: “I can’t even remember what I did it’s that surreal.
“You’ve got to be a lot smarter and you’ve got to be on your game as you’re up against the best players in the world. I’d love to do it again.
“International games are a lot quicker, it’s a bit like touch rugby and I’m glad I wasn’t in the middle of some of the contacts that went in!”
The NRL and Australian clubs were dead against this game and it may be awkward when South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly meets owner Russell Crowe.
For the Hollywood star was a fan at the game the man who runs his club fervently opposed, joining England’s squad in their dressing room!
But the American match is here to stay, for 2019 and 2020 anyway as part of a deal signed with promoter Jason Moore.
And Bennett, who saw Ryan Hall, Tommy Makinson and John Bateman go over while Gareth Widdop booted six goals as his side overturned a 12-0 deficit, is ready to fight the NRL again.
He said: “We've a great product, I don't know why we're embarrassed about it. We need to get our heads out of the sand.
“I just hope so many people watched this game in America that they look at their TV guides to see when the next time is that rugby league is on.
“If we don’t have a global product, we’re not going to have a product at all in 20 years – kids are growing up with all the sports around the world, we want to be in that place.
“But we’ll have the same fight next year. It starts now but from my point of view it just defies logic.”
Widdop is also up for a return, saying: “It would be silly to just forget about it and put it on the back-burner again.”
But what of Americans who had never seen rugby league before? Broncos player Casey Kreiter was impressed by its physicality.
He said in amazement: “It’s even more violent than I thought.”
JAKE ‘The Snake’ is back on America’s sporting landscape – the job now is keeping him there.
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