Rugby president urges players to ‘hang in there’

Stanthorpe Gremlins president clinging to the hope his club will return to the field for second half of season.

HOLD TIGHT: Gremlins president Linsday Adams is clinging to the hope his club will be able to return to the field for the second half of the season.

PLAYERS are being told to “hang in there” by Gremlins president Linsday Adams, who is just as disappointed as they are about the current coronavirus restrictions.

Adams said he was “pretty gutted” to see his club sitting on the bench, waiting for instructions as to whether the 2020 season would resume in May.

“The instruction that we have been given is that we can’t even start training until the middle of May,” he said.

“That’s the earliest time possible that we can get back out onto the field.”

Restrictions and advice have been continually changing as the coronavirus crisis unfolds, and Adams said the club was “playing it by ear”.

“It just all happened so quickly,” he said.

“This is only just unfolding so we will wait and see what happens.”

Adams said Gremlins players would have been running out onto the field this Saturday to kick off in the first game of what was tipped to be a “great season”.

“Everyone is pretty gutted. It’s not just us facing this, it is every other club across Queensland,” he said.

Describing the game as a “stress relief outlet” for both parents and players during last year’s battle through the devastating drought, Adams said it was hard to have nothing to turn to during the worldwide virus crisis.

“It was a great year of footy for the parents and kids last year,” he said.

“It was a very stressful year and having footy to turn to was a great outlet for everybody.”

A stellar performance from Gremlins players in the recent Redlands carnival, had Adams “absolutely pumped” for the season ahead.

“It was a great trial game and a great warm-up before the season started,” he said.

“We were very lucky to even get that carnival in. It probably wouldn’t have gone ahead if it was scheduled for a week later.”

But he said while it was “disappointing” the sport had come to a standstill across the country, there was nothing to be done but to “hang in there”.

“I am super hopeful to at least get the second round of games in,” he said.

“The reality is that is probably very slim, but we are holding onto that.”

Following the suspension of all community rugby league games across the country, the NRL yesterday announced its was also suspending its season.

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