Coronavirus: Last hurrah for crowds as NRL shuts its doors

This weekend is the last chance for National Rugby League fans to watch football live until COVID-19 is contained.

A Raiders fan at an NRL game in Canberra on Friday night. Picture: AAP

This weekend is the last chance for National Rugby League fans to watch football live until COVID-19 is contained.

NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg late on Friday announced that from round two, games would be played in closed stadiums without spectators as the game braced for the enormous fin­ancial fallout from the pandemic.

Friday night’s matches went ahead with crowds, while Scott Morrison said he would be attending Saturday’s Cronulla Sharks game against the Rabbitohs, 24 hours out from the start of the ­nationwide ban on gatherings of more than 500 people.

Mr Greenberg said it was an “unprecedented” time for the game and the NRL took the government’s advice to decide to keep stadiums open at the weekend in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.

He said he was told by “authorities” it was safe to continue the NRL games with fans.

“If the government had have given advice today to close the stadiums down, we would have done that,” he said.

As two Cronulla players were sent home because of flu-like symptoms, Mr Greenberg said the code was ready to deal with outbreaks in clubs and was open to ­adjusting the season draw if it were needed.

“We are dealing in unprecedented times and at the moment we are putting the draw forward as currently scheduled,” Mr Greenberg said.

He said in discussions with the government that making hard decisions now would hopefully protect showpieces such as State of Origin. “We might get the benefit of that in a month or so’s time … I hope, as the season unfolds, that Origin and other major events will go on without any impact.”

ARLC chair Peter V’landys said there was no plan to stop the season. “Our prime aim is keep the games being played,” he told The Weekend Australian. “Not only for the benefit for our players and their mental health but also for the health of the fans. Rugby league is for relaxation. It’s important we keep playing for the spirit of our society. Even if it is playing in empty stadiums, we will take whatever action, drastic or not, to keep games being played.”

Mr V’landys is investigating fin­ancial aid to NRL clubs, with the governing body set to fund a $10m-plus rescue package.