Brisbane Broncos leave families to fly to Sydney for Friday’s NRL clash but coach Michael Maguire is adamant they are being supported

The NRL is under fire for forcing players to leave Brisbane with a cyclone approaching and the Broncos coach has revealed what the club is doing to help.

Brisbane Broncos chief executive Dave Donaghy has flown back to Queensland, leaving players in Sydney for Friday’s clash with the Roosters amid backlash towards the NRL for forcing them to leave their families with Cyclone Alfred headed for the city.

While the AFL abandoned two matches planned for Queensland this weekend with predictions of seriously damaging winds and flooding rains, the NRL instead shifted the clash between the Dolphins and Rabbitohs from Brisbane to CommBank Stadium in Sydney.

Brisbane Lions Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale said he would not have left his family if the AFL had moved his team’s clash with Geelong to Victoria, while the wife of a Dolphins player lashed the NRL for “leaving the families behind” in a now deleted social media post.

Broncos head coach Michael Maguire says the club is in constant contact with players’ families to ensure they are safe. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Addressing the situation on Wednesday morning, having made an early move to Sydney with his team, Broncos coach Michael Maguire said they were getting “a lot of messaging” from those left in Brisbane.

He said the club was in constant contact with players’ families to ensure they were safe and was dealing with the rare situation “the best we can”.

“It is my first time facing something like this and the club has been really proactive,” Maguire said.

“Our chief executive (Donaghy) flew down (to Sydney) last night and turned around and went straight back to town to make sure everyone is safe while the team is down here.

“They are talking to and getting out to the partners and the wives to make sure they are safe through this situation.

“It is just a matter of waiting to see how it all pans out, but there is a lot of communication between the families.”

Broncos chief executive Dave Donaghy has flown back to Brisbane. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Other sporting events in Brisbane and the Gold Coast have also been cancelled as the category 2 cyclone gathers momentum and heads to the coast, with predictions 26,000 homes are in danger of flooding.

But Maguire said those left behind would have support.

“We are getting a lot of messaging from back home about how they are travelling. Hopefully, it is all OK,” he said.

“We are thinking about everyone up there. We are talking about it and that is the best way to go about it. We are going into the unknown but have to deal with it the best we can.”

Originally published as Brisbane Broncos leave families to fly to Sydney for Friday’s NRL clash but coach Michael Maguire is adamant they are being supported