By Christian Nicolussi
The NRL will consider introducing rapid antigen testing before training sessions and games in an expensive but necessary measure to give the competition every chance of avoiding being interrupted by a COVID-19 outbreak.
Superstars Nathan Cleary and Tom Trbojevic were among more than 60 players and staff forced to isolate from Tuesday morning following two positive cases at the Emerging Blues and Sky Blues camp at Sydney Olympic Park over the weekend.
Nathan Cleary and Tom Trbojevic are being forced to isolate.Credit: Getty
The Storm were due to have Wednesday off but switched days and made all their players and staff undergo testing on Tuesday. The Herald has been told the roommate of the player who tested positive in Blues camp returned a negative result on Tuesday.
While officials are not keen to introduce biosecurity bubbles for a third straight year, they know prevention is key and daily testing is likely to get the green light as early as next month.
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said rapid testing had been key to allow horse racing to continue through the pandemic.
“Rapid testing has been done successfully in other sports like racing, and early detection is key,” Abdo told the Herald. “We’re in a transition period at the moment between seasons, it wasimportant to give players a chance to recover.
“Any time a player comes into training, they will be screened for any symptoms, and provided they have a negative test they will be allowed train.
“We’re still working on the 2022 protocols, but technology is improving to allow results to be returned in 10 or 15 minutes.
“It will be a significant investment, but it’s an investment in continuity and keeping people safe and ensuring we have clubs training and getting ready for matches.”
Rapid testing on race days costs around $1000 at $10 per participant. Based on 50 players and staff at each of the 16 clubs being tested across 40 weeks of the year, the NRL would be looking at a $2 million bill for the regular testing.
Clubs were informed late on Monday about the Emerging Blues camp scare with the young player in question asymptomatic when he joined the likes of Sydney Roosters teen sensation Joseph Suaalii, and Manly pair Haumole Olakau’atu and Jason Saab at the camp.
Players are put through their paces at the Emerging Blues camp over the weekend.Credit: Gregg Porteous/NSWRL
NSW coach Brad Fittler did not attend the event as he was already self-isolating following a COVID scare during a regional motorcycle tour. Fittler’s support staff, including Greg Alexander, Danny Buderus and Andrew Johns, who has since started work with Newcastle, are all home-bound for the next week.
Cleary and Trbojevic were invited to address the playing group at NSW Rugby League’s Sydney Olympic Park HQ on Saturday night.
Cleary is now isolating for the week while Panthers teammate Api Koroisau, who refused to be vaccinated, can officially resume training on Wednesday as restrictions for unvaccinated people are relaxed in NSW from December 15.
St George Illawarra trio Tyrell Sloan, Jayden Sullivan and Junior Amone were on the NSW south coast at a two-day training camp and were forced to return home for COVID tests late on Monday.
A member of the NSW women’s team also tested positive and some of the game’s best female players, including Kezie Apps and Millie Boyle, were listed to attend the summer session.
NSWRL said via a statement on Tuesday: “The NSWRL was advised late yesterday of a positive COVID-19 test following a high-performance camp at the NSWRL Centre of Excellence on the weekend of 11-12 December. The test occurred after the camp had concluded.
“The NSWRL is adhering to the strict health and biosecurity protocols from the NRL’s Project Apollo, which includes self-isolating and undergoing COVID-19 tests, in order to ensure safety for player, staff, officials and the wider community.”
Newcastle players were forced to get tested and isolate as a precaution following the spike in case numbers in the Hunter region, while Wests Tigers players lost a day’s training last week because of a COVID scare with a trainer.
Some clubs have become so concerned they have discussed cancelling all community events to give themselves the best chance of avoiding a player contracting the virus.
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