Covid NRL: Storm fly north to flee lockdown

The Melbourne Storm are on the move again, joining the remainder of the NRL in Queensland after a Victorian snap lockdown was announced.

St. George Illawarra players training at the Broncos training ground in Red Hill. Picture: Richard Walker

Project Relocation has hit a major hurdle after the families of players and officials were told they would not be able to fly into Queensland.

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo notified players, officials and their families of the development on Wednesday night, informing them that the Queensland government had advised that it would not provide an exemption for families based in greater Sydney to travel to the Gold Coast.

“It means you will not be travelling as planned on Saturday, but it does not mean you will not be able to reach Queensland,” Abdo wrote.

“The government would now like more individual information and more information about our quarantine facility and COVID-safe plans before they approve our submission.

“We are hopeful you will make it to the Gold Coast within a week. Over the coming days we will be working day and night to provide the information required on our quarantine arrangements to ensure the Queensland community remain safe and healthy.”

Abdo indicated families from Newcastle and Canberra may be able to fly to Queensland on Saturday and promised to keep communicating as often as possible.

“I can’t pretend to know how disappointed you are, but you have our word that we will do everything we can to have you in Queensland by the end of next week,” Abdo wrote.

Players and officials were coming to grips with the news on Wednesday night, capping another dramatic day for the code as the Melbourne Storm were forced to make a hasty exit for Queensland.

The club’s State of Origin stars returned to Melbourne on Thursday and within hours were back on a plane for Queensland, only a matter of days before they were due to face Newcastle at AAMI Park.

Brisbane will be their home for the foreseeable future, the Storm joining the remainder of the NRL in Queensland after Victorian premier Daniel Andrews announced a snap five-day lockdown from midnight on Thursday.

Suddenly, the Storm were packing their bags as Covid-19 threatened to wreak havoc with the competition yet again and their game on Saturday is now expected to be played either on the Gold Coast or the Sunshine Coast.

While all that was unfolding, World Cup organisers were holding an international press conference to announce the tournament would go ahead as planned, putting them at odds with NRL clubs and potentially the ARL Commission.

As if the commission didn’t have enough on their plate. The last thing they needed was an international stoush, yet that is what they are facing as World Cup organisers press ahead with plans to host the tournament in England at the conclusion of the NRL season.

Before then, the commission needs to find a way to make it to grand final day, which remains under threat as Victoria becomes the latest battle ground for Covid-19.

The Storm have lived a peripatetic existence over the past 18 months but the hope was that they would be able to avoid the dramas that have engulfed Sydney in recent weeks.

That hope was lost on Thursday as the Victorian government announced they would lockdown the city amid fresh Covid concerns.

Storm chief executive Justin Rodski is optimistic that the Storm will be back in Melbourne in coming weeks. The NRL will take no chances.

There is too much at stake. The game’s financial future hinges on the premiership being played.

“We are really disappointed we won’t be able to play in front of our members and fans again this weekend as we hoped to,” Rodski said. “I know how much everyone connected with Storm — our players and staff through to our hugely loyal members and fans — was looking forward to it.

“There has been so much excitement and planning put into returning to AAMI Park but unfortunately the decision in the end was out of our hands.

“We will continue to work with the NRL and governments over the coming days to assess the

situation in Victoria and plan our return as soon as possible.

“We know this will be extremely disappointing for our members and fans who have missed watching our team play live at AAMI Park.

“We hope to return again for our match against the Panthers and will provide an update as we get more detail.”

While the Storm were in the midst of their move, the remaining clubs settled into their new homes. The spirit of co-operation was encapsulated by St George Illawarra training at the Brisbane Broncos base on Thursday. Dragons coach Anthony Griffin was once shown the door by the Broncos. On Thursday, he was welcomed back as the game was gripped by a spirit of collaboration.

The World Cup is also under threat as clubs rail against the tournament going ahead. The tournament’s senior officials held a video press conference on Thursday night in which they insisted they were committed to the event, which is due to be played after the grand final.

If it does go ahead, it will do so against the wishes of club bosses. They harbour genuine concerns over the safety of their players given the state of Covid-19 in England, where it has been rampant.

World Cup officials have met every demand that has been put before them and insist the tournament needs to be played if international rugby league is to survive and thrive.

“The World Cup is critical,” Rugby League International Federation deputy chair Troy Grant said.

“We want to unlock the potential international rugby league has had for too long. I don’t think it’s a flexing of the muscles but it’s certainly international rugby league fulfilling our duties to the game as a board and world cup partner.

“The opportunity lost by not having the world cup this year is massive and could be significantly damaging to the international game.

“There are sanctions available but what purpose would they serve. It would be counter productive in our view. It’s not the lens or mindset we’re working through.”

Rugby League World Cup chief executive Jon Dutton added: “We are very confident Australia will participate.

“They will join the other 20 competing nations. I have been speaking to (NRL chief executive) Andrew Abdo. We have met with PVL, commissioners with ARLC.

“What we have to recognise is the relocation of the NRL competition and the challengers domestically. We are very respectful of that.

“We wouldn’t be making this announcement without the confidence (of Australia participating).”