NRL man ruled out of Las Vegas trip after bizarre surfing incident

NRL forward Toby Rudolf has been ruled out of his side’s trip to Las Vegas in March after picking up an injury while surfing.

Cronulla Sharks will travel to Nevada to face NRL champions Penrith Panthers at the Allegiant Stadium as part of a rugby league festival that will also see Warrington Wolves take on Wigan Warriors and England women face off against their Australian counterparts.

However, Rudolf won’t be in action for the Sharks on what is the opening day of the NRL season, it seems. The front-rower has injured his shoulder after colliding with a rock while surfing in Bali and will have to undergo surgery before returning to the field with the Sharks in April.

“After the medical reviews, which were about three or four days after the last game [of the 2024 NRL season], I think it was, I just said I had a sore shoulder,” Rudolf said on 9News Down Under.

“Then I was away — I was overseas — and realised it wasn’t getting much better. I hurt it again surfing, and everyone that had a look at it, myself included, didn’t think it was that bad. I must just be too tough for my own good; the scans came back and it turned out I needed surgery.

“Over in Bali I was getting six-foot barrels — Kelly Slater over here. I just sort of jumped over a lip, got hit by it, got flattened over the rocks and got my arm in a poor position.”

The Sharks will close out the event in Vegas on March 1, with their game against the Panthers bringing the curtain down on the event. Wigan and Warrington get the day started as they face off against each other at 1.30pm local time, before Canberra Raiders and New Zealand Warriors go head to head in the first competitive NRL game of the year.

The Test match between Australia and England follows before the Panthers and the Sharks do battle in front of what is hoped will be a large crowd.