Rugby league returns to Vegas; tries galore, big hits and a cliff-hanger finish

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Rugby league returned to Las Vegas on Sunday in its continuing mission to convert Americans to football without pads, drawing 50,000 fans to Allegiant stadium where the grit of the quintessential Australian sport mixed with the glamor of the entertainment capital.

Curious locals mixed with traveling fans of teams from Australia, New Zealand and England on a day that saw four matches: two from Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL), one from England’s Super League and a women’s international between world champion Australia and England.

The day delivered tries galore, big hits and a cliff-hanger finale.

The NRL has committed until 2028 to play regular season matches in Las Vegas as part of a strategic plan to win an international audience for the sport.

Australia has been courting the US market since 1987 when it played a State of Origin match between New South Wales and Queensland in Long Beach. Sunday’s crowd was an improvement on last season when 40,746 people watched the Manly Sea Eagles play the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Sydney Roosters play the Brisbane Broncos.

Seb Kris scored the first try of the 2025 season after six minutes and added another as the Canberra Raiders eased to a 30-8 win over the New Zealand Warriors.

Xavier Savage also scored a double and Matthew Timoko added a try from a sharp, well-directed Raiders attack. Kurt Capewell and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck scored tries for the Warriors who made too many handling errors to produce a sustained attacking threat.

The Warriors also were lax on defense, missing 40 tackles in the opening match of the NRL season.

Reigning premiers the Penrith Panthers delivered a cliff-hanger finale, producing a 75th minute try to Daine Laurie to clinch a 28-22 win over the Cronulla Sharks.

The Panthers led 12-10 at halftime and 22-10 after 52 minutes with tries to Isaah Yeo, Izack Tago, Laurie and Paul Alamoti. But the Sharks rallied strongly with second half tries to Kayal Iro and Addin Fonua-Blake to cut the lead to two points.

Laurie's late try allowed the Panther’s to celebrate coach Ivan Cleary’s 55th birthday in Vegas.

The Wigan Warriors beat the Warrington Wolves 38-24 in an English Super League match.

Wigan led 24-0 at halftime with tries to Tyler Dupree, Abbas Miski, Bevan French and Harry Smith in the repeat of last year’s Challenge Cup final. Jai Field, Jake Wardle, Luke Thompson and Liam Marshall added second half tries as the United States became the seventh country to host a Super League match.

Halfback Tarryn Aiken pulled the strings as the Australian Jillaroos crushed England 90-4 in the women’s international.

Aiken produced an extraordinary play-making performance, picking England apart and laying on five tries for Tamika Upton, including a first half hat-trick. Julia Robinson and Jessica Sergis also scored hat-tricks in a 17 tries to one victory. England’s only try was scored by Georgia Roche 34 seconds from fulltime.

England prop Vicky Whitfield was taken to hospital after a second half head clash with Sarah Togatuki which stopped the game for 10 minutes.

It wouldn’t be NRL Las Vegas without some naughtiness. Raiders players Hudson Young and Morgan Smithies were forced to apologize after being temporarily evicted from their hotel Thursday over a scuffle involving an inflatable baseball bat.

“Obviously things got a little bit out of hand on Thursday night,” Young said. “I’m embarrassed for myself, my teammates, the NRL and the game."

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Penrith Panthers Dylan Edwards leaps to catch the ball during Australia's National Rugby League game between the Penrith Panthers and Cronulla Sutherland-Sharks at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Penrith Panthers Daine Laurie scores a try during Australia's National Rugby League game between the Penrith Panthers and Cronulla Sutherland-Sharks at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Penrith players celebrate following the Australia's National Rugby League game between the Penrith Panthers and Cronulla Sutherland-Sharks at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Penrith Panthers Izack Tago, left, is tackled by defenders during Australia's National Rugby League game between the Penrith Panthers and Cronulla Sutherland-Sharks at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/David Becker)

England players congratulate Georgia Roche after she scored a try during the rugby league international between Australia's Jillaroos and England at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Australian Jillaroo Tamika Upton runs to score a try during the rugby league international between Australia's Jillaroos and England at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/David Becker)

England's Vicky Whitfield is taken from the field on a stretcher following a collision during the rugby league international between Australia's Jillaroos and England at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Australian Jillaroo Jakiya Whitfeld reacts after scoring a try during the rugby league international between Australia's Jillaroos and England at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Australian Jillaroo Keilee Joseph reacts as she runs to score a try during the rugby league international between Australia's Jillaroos and England at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Cronulla Sharks Samuel Stonestreet, right, is tackled by defenders during Australia's National Rugby League game between the Penrith Panthers and Cronulla Sutherland-Sharks at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Cronulla Sharks Siosifa Talakai is tackled by defenders during Australia's National Rugby League game between the Penrith Panthers and Cronulla Sutherland-Sharks at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Penrith Panthers Daine Laurie dives across the line to score a try during Australia's National Rugby League game between the Penrith Panthers and Cronulla Sutherland-Sharks at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/David Becker)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Richard “Dick” Codey, a former acting governor of New Jersey and the longest serving legislator in the state's history, died Sunday. He was 79.

Codey’s wife, Mary Jo Codey, confirmed her husband’s death to The Associated Press.

“Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness,” Codey's family wrote in a Facebook post on Codey's official page.

"Our family has lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather -- and New Jersey lost a remarkable public servant who touched the lives of all who knew him," the family said.

Known for his feisty, regular-guy persona, Codey was a staunch advocate of mental health awareness and care issues. The Democrat also championed legislation to ban smoking from indoor areas and sought more money for stem cell research.

Codey, the son of a northern New Jersey funeral home owner, entered the state Assembly in 1974 and served there until he was elected to the state Senate in 1982. He served as Senate president from 2002 to 2010.

Codey first served as acting governor for a brief time in 2002, after Christine Todd Whitman’s resignation to join President George W. Bush’s administration. He held the post again for 14 months after Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

At that time, New Jersey law mandated that the Senate president assume the governor’s role if a vacancy occurred, and that person would serve until the next election.

Codey routinely drew strong praise from residents in polls, and he gave serious consideration to seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2005. But he ultimately chose not to run when party leaders opted to back wealthy Wall Street executive Jon Corzine, who went on to win the office.

Codey would again become acting governor after Corzine was incapacitated in April 2007 due to serious injuries he suffered in a car accident. He held the post for nearly a month before Corzine resumed his duties.

After leaving the governor’s office, Codey returned to the Senate and also published a memoir that detailed his decades of public service, along with stories about his personal and family life.

“He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others,” his family wrote. “He made friends as easily with Presidents as he did with strangers in all-night diners.”

Codey and his wife often spoke candidly about her past struggles with postpartum depression, and that led to controversy in early 2005, when a talk radio host jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air.

Codey, who was at the radio station for something else, confronted the host and said he told him that he wished he could “take him outside.” But the host claimed Codey actually threatened to “take him out,” which Codey denied.

His wife told The Associated Press that Codey was willing to support her speaking out about postpartum depression, even if it cost him elected office.

“He was a really, really good guy,” Mary Jo Codey said. “He said, ‘If you want to do it, I don’t care if I get elected again.’”

Jack Brook contributed reporting from New Orleans.

FILE - New Jersey State Sen. and former Democratic Gov. Richard Codey is seen before New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)