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A five-year pledge, a lop-sided clash between two of the game's biggest stars, and a new rule gets its first outing on a global stage.
Here are five quick hits from the NRL season kicking off in Las Vegas.
1. 'We're coming back'
There's something very American about screaming "four more years" to anyone within earshot, and that's just what NRL tsar Peter V'Landys was doing all day in Las Vegas.
Despite being praised as the brains behind the whole US experiment, the audacious ARLC chair happily credited numerous other people for the work put in to make it happen and was even willing to acknowledge his first hoped-of games in Los Angeles were off the mark.
But he was less tempered in his absolute declaration that Sunday's (AEDT) games were just the first and second of a five-year American commitment.
"We're coming back. This is just the foundation," he told Fox Sports after the season-opening double-header.
"It's gonna take three or four years, but I am more confident than ever that we can make tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars for the game."
The whole endeavour was a massive money-spinning marriage between the league, tourism and broadcasters, namely Fox.
V'Landys and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo were spotted chatting to Aussie expat and News Corp chair Lachlan Murdoch, Foxtel chief Patrick Delany tossed the coin ahead of the opening match and every comment from the Fox broadcast was unabashedly positive.
For example, they breezed past Ezra Mam's very serious complaint of a racial comment from Roosters prop Spencer Leniu (even praising his "passion" and "fire" after the game), and you better believe they didn't mention the crowd of 40,746 left some 25,000 empty seats at Allegiant Stadium.
None of that is to say that the whole experiment was a failure, just that it's hard to gauge based on the word of people with a vested interest in the success of it and wrapped up in the moment.
2. Tedesco wipes the floor with Walsh
Superstar Brisbane fullback Reece Walsh scored one brilliant try and set up another, but his Vegas outing was undeniably one to forget.
One error on the stats sheet probably doesn't capture the number of miscues and misjudgements he had on a night when he also had a try and a try assist.
Walsh just seemed to be forcing the issue repeatedly and it ultimately cost him and his team, but the flashy superstar, who's been told time and again he needs to learn how to pick his spots better, need only look to the other side of the field for his inspiration.
James Tedesco had the sort of performance that has become almost commonplace for him but is still spectacular to see in full flight.
He had a game-high 213 run metres, eight tackle busts, a line break and a try assist. But that's the sort of thing Walsh can do: it was his flawless performance defusing bombs and reining in his own halves' attacking kicks that really made the difference and ensured the Roosters never gave the Broncos a chance and, more importantly, never missed out on one of their own.
3. Manu can do magic
Joey Manu may be the most talented player in the NRL.
He's a physical freak, a good-enough fullback to start for most teams in the league, the best centre in the world and a more than capable five-eighth.
But even by his standards, his try assist for Felataiga Pauga in the 52nd minute against the Broncos was on another level.
Apparently wrapped up by Jesse Arthars and Selwyn Cobbo, Manu extended his right arm, and somehow flicked a backhanded pass, at speed, around Cobbo.
Pauga did well to make a simple catch and ground the ball untouched because he had no reason, other than Manu's track record of doing the impossible, to even expect the ball to be coming his way.
4. A new rule gets its first outing
The NRL introduced a new rule before the season to crack down on the use of "blockers" in field goal attempts.
Teams have become relatively shameless in positioning their biggest players just off the side of the ruck to impede potential tacklers charging at their teammate attempting a field goal.
Now, field goal attempts will all be reviewed by the bunker to see if the team attempting had put players in those positions who never had any intention of being a part of a potential play.
And it happened to the Roosters in their win over the Broncos.
On the stroke of half-time, Sam Walker slotted a field goal to take an unconventional five-point lead over Brisbane, but when reviewed by video referee Grant Atkins he delivered a pretty succinct explanation of the new rule:
"Lindsay Collins and Victor Radley take up a position next to each other, this interferes with the run of Fletcher Baker. This is considered interference. The field goal will be disallowed and a penalty awarded to Brisbane."
Fox commentator and former NSW Origin hooker Michael Ennis said "I don't love it", but expect to see more of these rulings throughout the year after a number of egregious blocking efforts were highlighted across the league last year.
5. Saab breaks down
Before the season-opening clash against South Sydney at the site of this year's Super Bowl, Manly flyer Jason Saab basically said he hoped NFL scouts might be watching.
"If the opportunity comes knocking, I'd give it serious thought," he told News Corp.
"Rugby league's the greatest game of all, but who wouldn't entertain an opportunity in NFL? If I can have a cracker of a game … who knows what it could eventuate."
Saab had a couple of chances to show off his status as the fastest man in the NRL, flying 65 metres upfield off his own tryline before Souths halfback Lachlan Ilias of all people ankle tapped him to cut him down.
Just before half-time, he was handed a gift from opposing fullback Latrell Mitchell and went 60 metres at a light jog to score.
But it turned sour when, with the game sewn up and the two points in the bag, he was supporting Tom Trbojevic and suddenly pulled up, clutching at the back of his right thigh like he'd suddenly been stung by a wasp.
His hamstring was gone and a sickly expression ran across his face as he put his hands on his head and over his face.
He and we will know more once they get some scans, but it's never good to see a player so famed for his athleticism get a soft tissue injury like that. Especially when Tom Trbojevic is in the vicinity.
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