Coronavirus: NRL to play on behind closed doors, ARL boss warns of catastrophe

Rugby league chief Peter V’landys appeals for government help, saying the code faces a challenge to survive.

NRL CEO Todd Greenberg and ARLC Chairman Peter Vlandys speak to the media on Sunday. Picture: Getty Images

The NRL competition will continue as planned behind closed doors. ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys and chief executive Todd Greenberg fronted a media conference this morning where they confirmed games would be played without spectators for the foreseeable future amid increasing concern over the impact of the coronavirus.

Club bosses were told of the decision In a phone hookup earlier this morning.

“We are in an area our game has never been in before,” V’landys said. ”It is certainly one of the greatest challenges for us to stay viable in the history of the game. Any decision we make today many change tomorrow.

“This situation is fluid – it is changing by the hour. All decisions we make will have the safety of the players as paramount. In this regard we are leaving every option available on the table.

“Because it is changing so quickly we would be silly to go in one direction.”

V’landys said the game would explore all options and had hired a biosecurity expert and pandemic expert to provide advice.

V’landys also appealed for government support, warning the impact could be catastrophic for the code. The league would take a huge financial hit if matches were forced to be cancelled, given the NRL’s main income is its $2 billion broadcast deal.

“We need to have the best information available to us to make the best decision,” V’landys said.

“In the interim we will continue round two. I give a commitment we will listen and be agile. I can’t stress enough that our game has never faced a challenge like this.

“The longer it takes, the more pressure on our financial viability. It could have catastrophic effects on us moving forward. An Australia without rugby league is not Australia.

“The government has to assist us in this crisis because it is not of our doing. We want to save our great game. It is not because of bad management.

“We just can’t give up. We need to take every action available to us to insure the future of the game, the future of the players, the future of the clubs and the future of the fans.

“We are asking for an economic stimulus. We are relying on expert advice. We are not going to panic. We are going to take measured decisions from experts.”

The New Zealand Warriors will based themselves out of Kingscliff on the NSW far north coast for the time being and play their next game, against Canberra, at CBus Super Stadium.

Centre Peta Hiku and winger Patrick Herbert flew back to Auckland with chief executive Cameron George this morning, leaving the club to seek reinforcements.

“However, with the travelling restrictions coming into place, returning to New Zealand would effectively remove us from the competition,” said Warriors CEO Cameron George.

“We had extensive meetings with (NRL CEO) Todd Greenberg, the Rugby League Players’ Association and our players and staff until late last night to consider all our options.

“There is a lot of take into account, not least the impact on families back home as well as our members, fans, sponsors and other stakeholders.

“Ultimately we have reached a decision for the team to stay in Australia for the coming week. They’ll be based on the Gold Coast and will play Canberra next weekend, probably at CBus Super Stadium.

“The landscape is changing so rapidly, though, and together with the NRL we’ll monitor the situation on a daily basis.”

Asked about potentially moving all the players and teams to one location, Greenberg said: “That is one of a variety of options that are available to us. We’re looking at a condensed version of the season, an extended version of the season, where (State of) Origin sits in the season. they are all being worked through.”

V’landys said they would meet chief medical officer of NSW on Tuesday and ask for some special consideration around testing.

“We have to look at how we get players to the games – do we charter planes, do we take them on buses” V’landys said.

“They are going to have to be a lot more careful than what they are in their normal lives. We will be guided by the biosecurity advice we get.”

Asked whether was in jeopardy, V’landys said: “That’s a possibility – or a game as we know it now. I think there will always be a game but the game as we know it now is in jeopardy. That is all sports. Our job here is to try to keep it as whole as possible.”

V’landys said rugby league was a vital contributor to the economy. “There has to be a social stimulus as well” V’landys said. “We need the game to go to keep people’s spirits up.”

Asked whether he could put a dollar figure on the damage to the game if the season was prematurely halted, Greenberg said: “There is significant pain for us and for our clubs.”