
Canberra Raiders are aiming to land NFL great Tom Brady for a key role in their Las Vegas schedule when they take on the NZ Warriors.
The Raiders are one of four NRL sides heading stateside to play in Round One with Canberra hosting New Zealand Warriors as game two of the four-game slate.
Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves will kick off the day of rugby league before the Raiders face the Warriors. England and Australia will go at it in a Women’s Test before the show is brought down by NRL champions Penrith Panthera facing Cronulla Sharks.
All in all, it’s expected to be one of the biggest rugby league events ever with fans travelling from Australia, New Zealand and England, as well as many other nations.
So for an event of such huge scope, why not try and involve one of the biggest sporting icons in the world and specifically in the USA. Well, that’s what Canberra Raiders are trying to do with their CEO revealing attempts to get NFL star Tom Brady in on the action.
Canberra Raiders reach out to Tom Brady for Las Vegas launch
Brady has finally retired after the most illustrious career of any American Football player with the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) boasting seven Super Bowl rings, more than anyone else.
The 47-year-old has moved into commentary now and is expected to be a guest commentator on Fox One, which is the NFL’s US broadcaster, but Canberra Raiders want Brady to be even more involved in the event.
Before every Raiders game the crowd are hyped up with the blowing of the horn and the leading of the Viking Clap, which is what Canberra want Brady to do.
Speaking to SEN Radio, Raiders CEO Don Furner said: “There are a couple of lines of communication through the NRL. It would be fantastic to get a Tom Brady-like person.”
He confirmed the club has yet to hear back and that there are a number of other fall-back options but Brady is seen as the number one pick given his status as the greatest-ever player of America’s most popular sport.
“We are in communication with Las Vegas Raiders about two of their players … We would like it to be an American NFL player, that’s our aim,” Furner explained.
“We’ve had a lot of suggestions through as to who that should be, and if we get one of the Raiders players, that would be great. That’s what we’re trying to do now.
“Fox One are doing our game and Tom Brady or [Rob] Gronkowski will be a guest commentator is my understanding, so if one of those two are commentators on that day… it would be great to have one of those two.
“So, I guess that’s the top of the mountain, and then a Raiders player, a Las Vegas Raiders player would be unbelievable too.”
The Viking Horn has been part of the Raiders gameday tradition since 2017 but is now a staple at their home ground. Landing Tom Brady for the role could help Canberra unlock a massive fan base given the profile of the 47-year-old.
