NRL to relocate 12 teams to three Queensland hubs

The NRL’s Sydney clubs look set to head north on Monday as the ARL Commission takes radical action to ensure the competition can continue.

ARL chairman Peter V'landys says the risk of the NRL staying in NSW is too great

The ARL Commission will relocate 12 teams to three separate southeast Queensland hubs in a bid to ensure the competition continues and broadcasting commitments are met.

The commission held an emergency meeting on Sunday afternoon where the decision was made to relocate the nine Sydney clubs as well as Newcastle, Canberra and the Warriors amid ongoing concern about the number of Covid cases in Sydney.

The clubs were then informed of the developments via a phone hook-up on Sunday night. Earlier on Sunday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had announced another 77 cases and even she indicated the NRL would be wise to pack up and move as she warned the numbers would only increase in coming days.

“I think at the moment it would be responsible for all organisations to limit activity in NSW,” the Premier said.

The Victorian government also announced that from midnight on Sunday all of NSW and the ACT would be considered a red zone. The borders were being shut and the NRL had to act fast.

Act fast they did, meaning the coming days will be a whirlwind of activity as the NRL moves almost 500 players and staff to Queensland. The commission has also said families can join the players in Queensland, but they will need to serve 14 days in quarantine on arrival.

Games will be played out of Suncorp Stadium, Sunshine Coast Stadium and CBus Stadium on the Gold Coast. The cost of the exercise will be measured in the millions but the alternative is much worse – that the competition is shut down by Covid spread in Sydney and the game is unable to meet its broadcasting commitments, a prospect that would have meant handing back tens of millions of dollars to Foxtel and the Nine Network.

Clubs will initially move for four weeks before the situation is re-evaluated, the news coming only days after State of Origin was shifted to the Gold Coast.

Four NSW teams were due to travel interstate in round 18 – Parramatta, the Sydney Roosters, Newcastle and the Wests Tigers. All would have required government exemptions for their games to go ahead.

The NRL has allowed the Melbourne Storm to stay in Victoria, helping mitigate the costs of relocating all the clubs.

The NRL said in a statement on Sunday clubs would be flown on charter flights to Queensland and players would comply with Apollo Protocols and public health requirements to ensure no risk to the community.

They added that the commission would continue to monitor the data daily and review arrangements on a weekly basis and clubs would return to Sydney as soon as the commission believes the risk to the competition in NSW has subsided.

Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys said the decision minimised the risk of the competition having to be suspended and protected the livelihoods of players and the many other people who generate their income from the game

“The commission has conducted an extensive risk assessment and it is clear from the current data trends that the risk to the competition is too great to continue playing in NSW right now,” he said.

“We are seeing close and casual contacts with links to our game on an almost daily basis. Queensland presents much lower risk. The commission is doing everything we can to keep the competition going. By keeping the competition going we keep people employed and ensure the players continue to be paid at their current rate.

“Rugby League is also an escapism for people during difficult times and it’s important we do everything we can so our fans can continue to watch rugby league every week especially while in lockdown.

“These are very difficult decisions. I feel for the players who have to leave their homes for a period. We will not keep players in Queensland any longer than they need to be. We hope it is only for a month, but if it needs to be longer, it will be. We’re doing this to protect their livelihoods.

“This will also have a commercial impact on clubs. I have assured all clubs that the NRL will ensure they remain financially strong during this period. The NRL has found extensive efficiencies and commercial revenue over the last year which ensured the game is financially stronger than it otherwise would have been.

The delicate nature of the situation was reinforced on Sunday morning when the Warriors were made to wait on the team bus when they arrived at Jubilee Stadium for their game against Cronulla amid a Covid scare.

A member of the catering staff at the ground was identified as a close contact, leaving the Warriors to twiddle their thumbs for 30 minutes while the venue was cleaned.

The incident no doubt have heightened concern for the ARL Commission as they prepared to meet to decide the premiership’s immediate future.

Cronulla coach Josh Hannay acknowledged the coming days would be difficult as players weighed up the prospect of being away from their families for a month or longer.

“The players will have to have some big discussions with their family,” Hannay said.

“They have to go home and digest all this. There is so much certainty around at the moment and obviously family comes first.

“There are going to be some delicate conversations over the next two or three days.”