ARL Commission bows to players on flu waiver

The ARL Commission will alter their vaccination waiver form to assuage a select group of players who had objected to the code’s policy.

Brett Morris, centre, and Josh Morris, right, watch Mitchell Aubusson put boot to ball during a Roosters training session at Kippax Lake Field on Thursday. Picture: AAP

The ARL Commission will alter its vaccination waiver form to assuage a select group of players who had objected to the code’s policy. The change is on the understanding that any player who fails to sign the revised document will be rubbed out for the season.

The commission met for several hours on Thursday to discuss a range of issues, the most serious the concern that some players had over signing a waiver form that would allow them to train and play without receiving the flu vaccination.

Chairman Peter V’landys emerged from the meeting and confirmed that an alteration would be made to the wording of the document, the belief that players would fall into line once the changes were made.

Canberra have a trio of big names — Josh Papalii, Sia Soliola and Joe Tapine — who missed training on Wednesday due to concerns over the wording of the waiver.

However, Papalii was among those who later said he had placed his faith in the game’s administration and was looking forward to getting back on the field.

“The NRL are working on it so it’s all good,” he said.

“Hopefully it’s all sorted soon. I’m looking forward to getting back on the field and playing.”

Manly, Canterbury and the Gold Coast were among the other clubs where multiple players expressed concerns about having flu shots. Around 20 players and officials across the game are believed to have raised concerns about receiving the vaccination, but the sense is that a simple change to the wording will fix the problem.

Rather than suggesting that they acknowledged and agreed with the health risks and the likelihood of their immune system being lowered should they catch the flu, it is understood the new clause will simply acknowledge that they were informed by a doctor of the risks.

“Look, 97 per cent of the players have been vaccinated,” V’landys said. “There is only a small percentage that haven’t. Our medical advice is that because it’s such a small percentage of players it doesn’t pose a risk.

“In our protocols we always allowed players to be able to sign a waiver. It’s a minor change. There was a clause that it would cause a health risk if they weren’t vaccinated, which they don’t believe. We have changed it to say they acknowledge the doctors have told them it is a health risk. It’s a minor change. It has no effect on the waiver.

“All the rest of the clauses that were taken out will be put back in and if a player doesn’t sign the new form they won’t play.”

The NRL also confirmed that clubs had been advised that biosecurity restrictions would not be eased to accommodate players making or receiving visits on Mother’s Day. Sydney Roosters star Brett Morris was talking about the prospect of visiting his mother when news broke that the NRL had informed clubs that there would be no exception to their biosecurity protocols this weekend.

It means Mother’s Day will have to be conducted from a distance, unless of course you happen to live with your mother like Wests Tigers forward Michael Chee Kam. For Morris and his twin Josh, it means the phone will have to suffice. “You can FaceTime. She doesn’t need to see us face-to-face to know how much we love her,” Morris said.

There had been a thought earlier in the week that players would be allowed to visit their nearest-and-dearest on the proviso that their mothers were showing no cold-like symptoms. However, the stance changed after the NRL conducted further consultation with its medical experts.

“After further consultation with our medical experts, the NRL has determined Mother’s Day is not an exceptional circumstance for players or club officials to leave their residence,” it wrote in an email to the clubs.