St George Illawarra had been earmarked as a potential replacement for the Rabbitohs, but the joint-venture outfit is unlikely to participate.

“It’s not something that has been raised with us but I would be fairly hesitant with what is already a very disrupted off season ahead of us in 2023,” said Dragons CEO Ryan Webb.

The NRL is keen to give the game a global audience and cash in on the explosion in legalised sports betting in the US, hoping the code can grab a piece of the $500 billion-plus that was previously wagered on the black market.

Rugby league has had a chequered history in America. The last foray was the ill-fated Denver Test match between New Zealand and England, in which the promoter suffered a financial loss, resulting in the players initially being out of pocket.