This sporting spectacle in Los Angeles is on a scale unseen in Australia

We are going to need the perfect game today," Gerard offers over his shoulder as the diehard San Francisco 49ers fan takes his seat in the steep stand behind the end zone at a heaving SoFi Stadium.

A 49er since he was "knee-high", Gerard made the five-hour journey south down Highway 101 to Los Angeles. He is flanked by dad, George, his girlfriend, his sister and her two young children, who are fitted in noise-cancelling headphones. The kids need them because almost everything about the NFL experience is an assault on the senses, especially if you're used to plenty of space at your chosen sport and venue in Australia.

Think State of Origin, AFL Grand Final or the Boxing Day cricket Test on steroids. The noise, the colours and the smell of burgers, hot dogs and beer at the pre-game tailgate ... and that's before you even get into the stadium.

I've been lucky enough to go to plenty of big sporting events in my time, but the NFL (that's the National Football League or American football or gridiron for those who don't know) is on another level, and it's easy to see why it's become bucket-list stuff for some. The $US5.5 billion stadium is worth the trip alone, and it's part of the reason Los Angeles is becoming one of the best sporting destinations in the world.

The NFL's return to the city is part of that. Hollywood's glitz and glamour was missing a key sporting attraction for more than 20 years after two teams left LA in the 1990s. But the Rams and the LA Chargers, have been back for almost a decade, and they bring together billionaires, tech gurus, celebrities and families, like Gerard's, like no other event can. So as I sit back and trade the grassy hill at Newcastle's 30,000-capacity McDonald Jones Stadium back home for the plush SoFi surrounds, I tap Gerard on the shoulder to ask him a couple of questions. His family is wearing identical uniforms - scarlet 49ers jerseys - and is among a full house of 70,000 for the blockbuster between the LA Rams and 49ers.

Like father, like son, Gerard grew up worshipping 49ers hall-of-famers Joe Montana, Steve Young and Jerry Rice. Today, he is hollering for backup quarterback Mac Jones. "We got our second-stringers out there today. I will be happy if we keep it respectable," he says knowingly.

The rivalry - some say hatred - between the divisional heavyweights is one of the most intense in the NFL. A buzz turns into a roar when the spotlight centres on legendary saxophonist Mike Phillips as he belts out a soulful rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. Hairs on my neck stand at attention as the crowd reaches a crescendo: "O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!"

The stadium resembles a map on US election night, a patchwork of blue-wearing Rams fans and red of the 49ers. Someone turns the knob on the stereo to full bore. The roar. It's like no other sports event. The noise meter, shown on the 360-degree Infinity Screen, which floats high above the playing surface, reaches 103 decibels. That's the sound of a low-flying jet.

The double-sided screen wouldn't be out of place on the set of a sci-fi movie. It's a technological marvel that ensures there's not a bad seat in the house.

SoFi Stadium, completed in September 2020, is the centrepiece of a $US5.5 billion complex built on the former Hollywood Park thoroughbred racecourse. At the time, it was the most expensive sporting stadium project in the world, and now the Rams share it with NFL rivals, the Chargers. In June next year, a grass soccer pitch will replace the artificial gridiron ahead of the FIFA World Cup. SoFi will host eight matches, including the USA's tournament opener.

Then comes Super Bowl LXI in 2027, followed by the 2028 Summer Olympics and the opening ceremony before the arena is reconfigured into the largest swimming venue in history.

Back to the action. There is so much going on. You don't know where to look. On the field, the 49ers jump to a 14-0 lead. Everything happens so fast. Forget the notion that NFL is too stop-start. It may be on TV. But not at the game, baby.

Tottenham Hotspur-turned Los Angeles FC star Son Heung-min flashes up on the Infinity Screen. Actress Dakota Fanning, Oscar-winning Kiwi director Taika Waititi and Western Bulldogs Aussie rules club captain Marcus Bontempelli are among the cast of celebrities highlighted. (The Rams are set to play in the first NFL game in Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in October. Their opponent and the game date are to be confirmed.)

I explain to Gerard that I am visiting from Australia and ask if he knows much about rugby league or Aussie rules. The question must have got the cogs turning in his brain. Five minutes later, he turns and asks: "Who was the Aussie rugby player at the 49ers?" Jarryd Hayne. "That's right, I thought he was going to be a superstar," he says.

It's half-time (the 49ers lead 17-7), and while I'd usually be lining up for a meat pie, you don't have to at SoFi. What do you eat? An Uber Eats order - true story! I drum up a conversation with Russell, a middle-aged former college ball player, lifelong Rams fan and season ticketholder. He reassures me that the home side just needs to "tighten up our defence".

The writer was a guest of Visit California and Los Angeles Tourism