NRL 2020: Government urged to burst player ‘bubble’ as Coronavirus restrictions eased
The latest round of restrictions being lifted for the public across the country has prompted the NRL to officially request its players and staff be able to get close to normality again.
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A return to cafes, restaurants and the simple act of leaving their homes is closer than ever for every NRL player and staff member who have spent the past seven weeks inside the code’s strict biosecurity bubble.
The NRL has confirmed to all 16 clubs that a letter of request to commence the process of easing restrictions for the game’s elite has been sent to the NSW government.
The NRL wants the government to approve the eased restrictions, as soon as this weekend.
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The list of eased restriction items that the NRL has asked the government to acknowledge are fair and understandable given the continual return to normality by the rest of the wider public.
If approved, restrictions around the movement of NRL players will still be tighter than current government health orders.
As well as wanting players and clubs to have the option again to go out for a meal, or a coffee with the rest of the wider community, the NRL has told clubs that they have also asked the government to approve players to recommence using public transport.
The NRL also acknowledges the need for a relaxation on those players and football staff members being able to interact with club officials and players, who have remained outside every club’s 50-person bubble.
The NRL wants restrictions eased by this weekend.
The NRL will provide an update on the codes desire to ease bubble restriction during a 10am Wednesday phone hook-up which will include all 16 club CEOs, ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys and interim NRL CEO Andrew Abdo.
The phone conference will also include a discussion on the NRL’s attempt to have every club playing matches from their traditional home venues by round eight.
The NRL had a couple of high-profile breaches from players that threatened the competition’s restart.
The Daily Telegraph caught Melbourne Storm winger Josh Addo-Carr and South Sydney fullback Latrell Mitchell violating strict COVID-19 protocols back in April after Addo-Carr posted images on Instagram of a weekend camping trip.
Addo-Carr was warned twice in 11 days for violating COVID-19 restrictions before he was caught for a third time on a weekend camping trip that has thrown the NRL into crisis.
Days later Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary became caught up in a social media storm after images of him partying with a group of young women surfaced.
Initially, Cleary told the NRL Integrity Unit that the women only visited his house for a short time while waiting for an Uber to arrive.
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But The Daily Telegraph discovered a TikTok video of Cleary, 22, dancing with the women that contradicted his story over the isolation breach.
After originally being cleared by police for any wrongdoing, on the basis the women arrived at his house and he did not leave, Cleary was eventually fined after he allegedly did leave his home on the day of the infamous TikTok video and lied about how long his party went on.
Police also fined five young women – aged in their late teens to early 20s – $1000 each after they appeared in the now-infamous social media videos and photos featuring Cleary during the Anzac Day gathering at the Panthers star’s home.
