NSW women's coach John Strange has urged the NRL to give the women's game another chance in Las Vegas and would support playing the State of Origin series opener there.
The NRL is already considering cutting back the Vegas program from four games to three for the third Stateside visit in 2026 with the women's international match a possible casualty.
The crowd noticeably thinned out at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday (AEDT) when it became clear England had no chance of upsetting Australia's Jillaroos in the third game of the day.
The crowd never again had the heaving atmosphere of the Super League match between Wigan and Warrington and the NRL's Canberra and the Warriors.
That opened up questions as to whether four fixtures, lasting nine hours in total, was too much for fans to stomach.
The end score of the women's game - 90-4 - marked the Jillaroos' third-biggest win and exposed a glaring gulf in the quality of the NRLW and the amateur women's Super League.
"To be honest, I was disappointed. It wasn't the best advertisement for women's rugby league," said Sydney Roosters and Sky Blues coach Strange, who was in attendance.
"Around 10 minutes before half-time, the atmosphere wasn't there and it's not going to be when it's not close.
"Unfortunately what I witnessed there, which, being involved heavily in the women's game was disappointing, people were starting to leave because of that."
Strange sees only two options for a women's fixture going forward: either reschedule the three-match Origin series to begin in March in Vegas, or invite New Zealand next time.
While England had only two NRLW players in their side last Sunday, the Kiwi Ferns' team was comprised entirely of NRLW players in last year's Pacific Championships.
England have never beaten Australia, but New Zealand famously upset the Jillaroos in the final of the 2023 Pacific Cup, and pushed them in the follow-up meeting during last year's Pacific Championships.
"I don't think they should scrap the women's fixture, I think they should look at doing it in a better way, whether it's Origin I for the girls or Jillaroos vs the Kiwis," Strange said.
"They're the only two fixtures I think that they should look at if they're going to continue it again.
"Give them another chance."
The NRL welcomed a then-record crowd of more than 25,000 by scheduling the women's Origin series opener for the same weekend as Magic Round in 2024.
A series opener in Vegas would likely eclipse the current women's Origin record - 25,782 in game two last year - and would allow the series to run in tandem with the NRL's opening rounds.
Strange's only condition would be wrangling his team together early for a training camp, similar to the one former coach Kylie Hilder ran ahead of last year's series.
"As long as they get the proper prep, I think it'd be great," he said.
