Meet the unluckiest footy stars at the NRL's Las Vegas extravaganza as big culture shock takes the gloss off their stay in Sin City

Spare a thought for the NRL's unluckiest stars in Las Vegas - young guns who can't enjoy a beer with their teammates as they are not yet 21.

While the entire Cronulla Sharks squad are of legal age to drink in Sin City, the same can't be said for the Penrith Panthers (four players), Canberra Raiders (four players) and New Zealand Warriors (three players).

It comes as Raiders excitement machine Chevy Stewart, 19, confirmed he purchased a PlayStation 5 in a bid to fill in time before departing Australian shores.

The fullback won't have to look far for company in the US - fellow teenager Noah Martin is also restricted as to where he can go, and it the same story for teammates Ethan Strange and winger Savelio Tamale, who are both 20.

Huge expectations have been played on Penrith siblings Jesse McLean (20) and Casey McLean(18), with the latter starting on the wing this weekend for the injured Brian To'o.

Both siblings are tipped to be on the waters when cameras are present, no matter the result at Allegiant Stadium.

At 20, Penrith rising star Luron Patea is expected to come off the bench against Cronulla, with off-season recruit Blaize Talagi (20) not to be risked following shoulder surgery.

Elsewhere, Warriors coach Andrew Webster named Demitric Vaimauga (20) and Leka Halasima (19) as interchange options, with 20-year-old Eddie Ieremia expected to miss the final 17.

Last year, then Roosters superstar Joseph Suaalii plus South Sydney players Davvy Moale and Jye Gray were all under 21, which saw nightclub visits off the table for the trio.

Fast forward 12 months, and besides the wrestling incident with Raiders stars Hudson Young and Morgan Smithies, players from the four NRL clubs have been on their best behaviour.

It comes after a leading cop based in Las Vegas stressed the importance of being responsible - and avoiding risks associated with prostitution and drugs.

'All across this country, fentanyl is causing great damage to young people,' Lieutenant Kendall Bell said last year.

'Make sure you stay away from drugs and things of that nature because they could be laced with something you weren't expecting.

'You also know how social media is so prevalent. People can make a lot of money by putting you in a bad position.

'Understand some will try to capitalise off your celebrity.'

Come Sunday, March 2 AEDT, Wigan tackle Warrington from 8:30am in a Super League clash, followed by Canberra against New Zealand at 11am in the first match of a NRL double header to kick-off the 2025 season.

Next is the women's Test match between the Australian Jillaroos and England (1pm, AEDT) before Nathan Cleary's Panthers do battle with the Sharks from 3.30pm.