New York consortium spokesman Ricky Wilby ­accepts there are critics who believe the prospect of rugby league succeeding in the Big Apple is a foolish, and expensive, pipedream.

But with the World Cup to be hosted by the US and Canada in 2025, the clock is ticking for the sport’s powerbrokers to ensure rugby league has some presence and relevance in the North American market.

Last month, the New York consortium tabled a $30 million business plan to England’s Rugby Football League. Their hope is to play in the UK Super League by 2019 or 2020.

Since that development, Wilby says more than 60 players, including current NRL stars, have expressed interest, via their agents, in playing for a New York team.

The explosion of interest has prompted the consortium to draw up a hit list of potential recruits, with Wilby confirming the prospective franchise is keen to sound out Smith and Slater about their plans for life after the NRL.

<figure class="tge-imagecaption"><figcaption class="tge-imagecaption_caption">Billy Slater is a potential target for New York. Picture: Phil Hillyard</figcaption></figure>