League will look at the NFL as it prepares a vaccination policy

The NRL is set to look at is counterparts in America as it comes up with a vaccination policy for its players.

Andrew Abdo says the NRL will look at its counterparts in the NFL as it looks at vaccination protocols. (Pictures: Getty Images.

The NRL is monitoring the lay of the land in American sports such as the NFL as it prepares to decide whether to bring in different protocols and sanctions for players who decline to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

The ARL Commission and NRL are expected to step up the push to have players vaccinated in coming weeks and events of the past 48 hours have only reiterated how vital vaccinations will be to ensure the competition’s survival.

There are, however, some players who may opt out, leaving the NRL with a decision to make as it weighs up whether to adopt the NFL model of holding vaccinated and non-vaccinated players to different standards.

The NFL recently introduced protocols that dictate vaccinated players are given infinitely more freedom than those that opt against vaccination. Unvaccinated players at NFL pre-season training must undergo daily testing, wear masks, maintain physical distancing, cannot eat meals with teammates, and are not allowed leave the team hotel or interact with people outside the team on the road.

Further, non-vaccinated players who test positive are also required to undergo a 10-day isolation. Vaccinated players or staff who test positive can return to duty after two negative tests 24 hours apart.

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The most glaring difference occurs if a game is cancelled due to Covid-19. If it stems from the infection of an unvaccinated player, the team responsible is ruled to have forfeited and players from both teams are not paid for that week.

Some have suggested the NFL protocols are designed to pit vaccinated and non-vaccinated players against each other, their way of applying pressure on players to get the jab.

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo has been monitoring the way overseas sports have handled their response to Covid-19 and says the time is coming when the league will have to design protocols to cater for those who do and don’t get vaccinated.

“Yes we will look at (the NFL),” Abdo said.

“It is not to say we will use it, but we will look at it. The thing is here we need the supply (of vaccine) up first. But that is coming so we need to get ready for it.

“The policy on vaccines is a commission decision. It is highly unlikely we will make it mandatory. What we will do is encourage it and potentially design a system where we can provide a more sustainable way of operating for those athletes who do have it.

“Hopefully we’re able to operate in a more flexible way for those who get it done. I can’t say what it will look like yet but we are absolutely considering it.

“The only way out of this virus for the world is through vaccination. We want a policy to make sure as many people as possible who want it are doing it.”

The players union is likely to be central to any talks over a vaccination policy and Rugby League Players Association chief executive Clint Newton said his organisation would need to be convinced that differing protocols were in the best interests of the players.

“It still comes down to what is necessary,” Newton said.

“The NRL has always said it is about the science and data. It comes down to what is the rationale around it outside of just saying this is what is recommended.”

The prospect of holding vaccinated and unvaccinated players to different standards comes as the NRL returns to some sense of normality after a wild weekend when the competition was again placed under threat.

The decision by the Queensland government on Saturday to go into lockdown and halt professional sport sent the NRL into a spin.

Abdo described it as the most difficult day of his tenure as 12 hours of tense negotiation resulted in the NRL receiving the green light to reschedule games for Sunday and Monday.

“We were gone,” Abdo said.

“The whole integrity of the competition would have been affected. It was almost like a Rubik’s cube. The only way you can solve it is if you break off the pieces and glue them back on.”