NRL 2021: Dragons duo Zac Lomax and Daniel Alvaro to serve bans in NRL bubble

Dragons Zac Lomax and Daniel Alvaro will serve their bans on an “all-expenses paid holiday” in Queensland despite refusing to sign legal paperwork.

A farcical loophole will allow exiled Dragons Zac Lomax and Daniel Alvaro to serve their one-match bans while they are forced into quarantine in Queensland for refusing to sign legal paperwork in the wake of Paul Vaughan’s Covid-breaking house party.

It can also be revealed the two won’t be docked any further pay despite choosing to sit out a further two weeks on what is effectively now an all-expenses paid holiday.

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The paper work was to confirm no people from outside the NRL ‘bubble’ attended the party where the players shamelessly ignored NRL protocols, as well as the NSW Government regulations during the Covid lockdown.

The NRL on Monday allowed 10 of the 12 busted at Vaughan’s to return to training before the team flies to Queensland on Wednesday because they had signed the document.

Zac Lomax (right) cannot train with the Dragons (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

But Lomax and Alvaro did not sign because of legal reasons.

That means they can’t make the trip north until Sunday given that will be two weeks since Vaughan’s party.

But they can now make up some time after being given the green light to serve their suspension during this quarantine period.

While the NRL officially says no decision has been made, the Dragons are of the understanding that the players will be able to serve the one-match bans in quarantine.

It makes a mockery of the process, especially in the wake of Nathan Brown’s blow up on Sunday about the inconsistent bans being handed down to players who have breached Covid rules, either willingly or through no fault of their own.

READ THE FULL STATUTORY DECLARATION HERE

Brown made a legitimate point when he questioned how unfair it was for Warriors players Euan Aitken and Josh Curran to spend 14 days in isolation after they were on a flight with a potential Covid case, while the Dragons players will only miss one game for deliberately breaking the rules.

Brown said it was further highlighted by the fact Sharks centre Will Chambers was forced into 14-day quarantine even though he spent seven hours in his car to ensure he didn’t jeopardise the rest of the competition after he returned from Melbourne.

“We’ve got two blokes from our starting side who haven’t played for two weeks because they caught an aeroplane where the hostess was crook,” Brown said.

Daniel Alvaro is yet to sign NRL paperwork (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)

“Then all the blokes from Saints get one week.

“So you do the wrong thing and you get a week, but you do the right thing like Will Chambers did and you get two weeks. You tell me how that one’s fair. It doesn’t add up to me.”

Dragons chief executive Ryan Webb on Monday was understandably just wanting to move forward.

Asked if the two would cop a further sanction given they won’t be playing for another two weeks, Webb said: “We just have to work through the rules that are in place to get them back. It is just a really awkward time.

“But this is a legal choice they have made.

“I don’t think you can punish them for heeding their legal advice.”

St George Illawarra CEO, Ryan Webb announcing coach, Paul McGregorÕs departure as head coach of the club at WIN Stadium Thursday August 13, 2020. (DAILY TELEGRAPH/Simon Bullard)

Meanwhile, in another twist to Lomax’s situation, the fact he lives with his younger brother Hayden, a Dragons’ development player, means Hayden was also not eligible to be considered for the 30 players who will depart with the squad on Wednesday.

It comes as other Dragons players started personally contacting club members with phone calls, and Gerard Beale became the first to do so publicly.

Beale posted on Instagram that he was “deeply disappointed” with his decision.

“I should have respected and honoured the biosecurity rules that are put in place to protect us,” Beale wrote.

“Instead, I had made a disrespectful and stupid decision.

“I am extremely sorry for my actions. It’s important I take ownership of this mistake and learn from this experience. ”

A Red V member also contacted 2GB’s Ray Hadley to tell him he had received a call from one of the players.

Gerard Beale’s apology. Picture: Instagram

“He was ringing members of the Red V to personally apologise for the stupidity of his actions and to take full responsibility for it,” Glen told Hadley.

“It can’t be an easy job to ring complete strangers and apologise for being an idiot.”

The remaining players who are already believed to have signed the document include Jack Bird, Jack de Belin, Gerard Beale, Blake Lawrie, Josh McGuire, Kaide Ellis, Tyrell Fuimaono, Josh Kerr, Corey Norman and Matt Dufty.

Each of those will have to serve their one match ban over the next month with the suspensions to be staggered.

UNAVAILABLE

Cameron McInnes (injured), Daniel Alvaro (stood down), Gerard Beale (stood down), Jack Bird (stood down), Jack de Belin (stood down), Matt Dufty (stood down), Kaide Ellis (stood down), Tyrell Fuimaono (stood down), Josh Kerr (stood down), Blake Lawrie (stood down), Zac Lomax (stood down), Josh McGuire (stood down), Corey Norman (stood down), Mikaele Ravalawa (suspended). Paul Vaughan (sacked)

POTENTIAL SIDE

1 Tyrell Sloan, 2 Max Feagai, 3 Cody Ramsey, 4 Mathew Feagai, 5 Jordan Pereira, 6 Adam Clune, 7 Ben Hunt, 8 Jaiyden Hunt, 9 Andrew McCullough, 10 Poasa Faamausili, 11 Tariq Sims, 12 Brayden Wiliame, 13 Jackson Ford, 14 Hayden Lomax, 15 Jamayne Tonua-Brown (pending Warriors transfer), 16 Billy Burns, 17 Talatau Amone, 18 Jayden Sullivan

Originally published as NRL 2021: Dragons duo Zac Lomax and Daniel Alvaro to serve bans in NRL bubble