NRL return date: NSW chief Mick Fuller says interstate players can relocate to start the season
Police commissioner Mick Fuller has opened the door to interstate NRL teams who want to move to NSW so the season can restart and Queensland Origin great Gorden Tallis is urging players to relocate.
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Police commissioner Mick Fuller has opened the door to interstate NRL teams who want to move to NSW so the season can restart.
Mr Fuller stood by his advice to Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys last week which said the game could be played under the state’s current COVID-19 health orders.
“(I) stand by that legal advice … professional sports is not closed, nevertheless they have some hurdles to get over in relation to work, health and safety,” Mr Fuller said today.
“I wish them the best in terms of getting employment back up and running.
“Any employer in NSW that we can help get through these difficult times, we will continue to do that.
“We are concerned about employment as well in the state of NSW, we’ve worked closely with Bunnings and Woolworths and Coles.”
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He said moving players between states constantly would present difficulties but was open to interstate teams setting up camp in NSW.
“I certainly think there are challenges in terms of players coming and going with the different restrictions … I’d certainly be happy to work with health in terms of teams coming here and undertaking reasonable isolation,” Mr Fuller said.
The letter, dated April 4, told Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys the health orders imposed to stop the spread of COVID-19 in NSW did “not preclude” the proposal for a May 28 restart involving NSW-based teams.
The Daily Telegraph revealed today the state government was backing the plan, with Deputy Premier John Barilaro saying “rugby league is at the heart of everything we do in NSW”.
“I can tell you that in the conversation I’ve had with the Premier and the Treasurer, we’ve all spoken about the NRL (returning) and said ‘yes, absolutely’,” Mr Barilaro said.
But Australia’s chief medical officer Brendan Murphy cautioned against the ploy, saying “my personal view is it is premature to be planning things but that is a matter for NSW”.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has said her state’s NRL teams would not be exempt from border restrictions, meaning they could not return to Queensland after playing a game in Sydney unless they went straight into a 14-day quarantine.
“They would not meet the criteria and secondly we need to make sure we have clear health advice,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“And I say to all the sporting organisations, let’s just take a break. Let’s get this flattening the curve under control.”
Queensland Origin great Gorden Tallis urged Queensland players to uproot and move to NSW if it meant the game could restart.
“The players, they’ve got to do whatever they’ve got to do to get paid, to make sure the competition goes ahead. Simple as that,” Tallis told AAP.
