NRL season to be completed in Queensland with Brisbane, Melbourne to fight for grand final

“The data is not looking good.” And with those words Peter V’landys all but conceded the NRL won’t return to NSW — including the grand final.

Peter V’landys has all but conceded it has now past the point of no return of getting NRL games back into NSW this season — and that is likely to include the grand final.

While at pains to say there has been no decision made at this point, the ARL Commission chairman conceded on Monday “the data is not looking good”.

It comes in the wake of NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s latest Covid update that revealed there were 145 new positives with 51 of those infectious in the community.

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V’landys explained the active cases in the community was the figure which was of greatest concern.

“All I can say to you is that we have always based our decisions on the data and the data is not looking good,” V’landys said. “The data is a great concern.

Wests Tigers training at their Brisbane base after the NRL competition was moved entirely into Queensland. Picture: Albert Perez/Getty Images

“And the one we look at is the (51) people who were in the community while infected.

“Unless they get that down there is always going to be the chance of other infections.”

Experts estimate for each person infected with the Delta variant it spreads to nine more when exposed in the community.

The NRL initially sent all relocated teams to the Queensland hubs for an expected minimum stay of four weeks but that is certain to be extended.

The NRL grand final could be on the move (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

The players come out of quarantine on Wednesday and after that they will at least be allowed to mix in the community, giving them greater freedom than they would be afforded at home.

Asked when a final decision would be made as to whether all the NRL teams would stay playing out of Queensland for the remainder of the season, V’landys said: “The Commission has delegated myself and Andrew (Abdo) to follow the data and make the decision accordingly.”

ARL chairman Peter V'landys with Cowboys captain Jason Taumalolo and the Titans’ Kevin Proctor. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

V’landys said the decision on the grand final also remains open.

But realistically you would think it’s no chance of being played in Sydney and the best-case scenario for the NRL would be to have Queensland and Melbourne get into a bidding war.

While the Premier has denied reports that the lockdown would be extended until the end of September, she did say it could still be weeks before the impact of Sydney’s anti-lockdown protest are reflected in the positive cases.

Given the NRL grand final is scheduled for the first weekend in October, the longer it goes on basically puts to bed any chance of it being played in Sydney.

St George Illawarra train in their Brisbane bubble. Picture: Richard Walker

Brisbane would be the favourite to get the grand final at this point but the latest figures from Victoria give hope to Melbourne.

On Monday there were 11 new locally acquired coronavirus cases detected in the community in Victoria in the 24 hours.

Importantly all are limited to current outbreaks, and all were in quarantine throughout their entire infectious period.