Peter V’landys bullish over NRL’s intended restart date

A bullish Peter V’landys has reminded government authorities that the NRL has been given the green light to resume.

ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys: ‘If we can start, the amount of people who will be watching our game will probably be the biggest audience we have had.’ Picture: Jonathan Ng

ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys spoke to the NSW Health Minister on Friday morning to remind him that NRL had been given the all-clear to resume in its heartland.

As for the country’s deputy chief medical officer, there was a reminder for him and everyone else that the game’s resumption date is still seven weeks away and the statistics are falling in favour of rugby league — and society for that matter.

“I appreciate how busy the health minister and medical officers are,” V’landys said

“They would not be aware that we have dealt with the relevant authorities and have the necessary authorisation.

“It’s in the NSW public health order that we are exempt. We also received a letter last Wednesday from relevant government authority confirming we can train and play.

“This is the mistake everyone has made. It is seven weeks away. In that seven weeks there will be some form of relaxation of the social distancing measures.

“Rugby league, like it or not is a workplace. Other workplaces are continuing to operate. The risk now is minimal.

“There is more chance of you getting hit by a car walking across the road than there is of you getting the coronavirus if you are in an area that has one per cent (infection rate).

“In reality, we could start tomorrow in NSW because we have permission to (do so). We’re not going to. That is why we decided to give it six or seven weeks.

“In six or seven weeks’ time I reckon the infection rate will be 0.5 per cent. When we stopped playing it was 22.5.

“The pandemic expert said it would get to 30 or 40 per cent. We could have played through all this because at this stage there hasn’t been one positive NRL player.”

V’landys remains bullish about rugby league’s return despite relevant health authorities taking aim at the code’s public plans to resume its competition on May 28.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard got in the act on Friday morning when he suggested he hadn’t heard from the NRL for four or five weeks.

The NRL responded by pointing out that it had been advised to liaise with the offices of the sports minister and premier, and that the state government had exempted “sporting events”.

Then the nation’s deputy chief medical officer Paul Kelly rounded on rugby league. Within the space of hours, two governmental grenades had been launched at the code.

All this as the sport reels from a blistering attack orchestrated by its broadcast partner – the Nine Network – on head office.

Kelly warned the risk extended well beyond the players.

“There’s other people around the teams — (South Sydney coach) Wayne Bennett is in his 70s, he would be in a vulnerable group,” Kelly said.

“(Canberra coach) Ricky Stuart with the mighty Raiders, he would potentially be in a vulnerable group.

“(The NRL are) making their plans for the road and I encourage them to do so in other sports. But whether May is the time will remain to be seen and definitely they’ll need to get some permission to do that.”

Asked whether rugby league was a law unto itself, Kelly said: “Some of the players and coaches may think so but they’re part of society and they have a part … to support not only safety for themselves but for all of us.

“To be really frank about this, we all have a place in this and if we loosen the social distancing measures at the moment it can have an implication down the track.”

The NRL has a big week ahead. It will meet the broadcasters early next week to discuss the schedule and attempt to strike a deal on finances.

There are talks to be had with the players’ union as well but everything hinges around talks with Foxtel and Nine.

“Society needs some level of getting back to normality,” V’landys said.

“We’re not New York. We are not Spain. It is nothing like it is there. The reason everyone is frightened and reacting the way they are is because they are looking at those overseas jurisdictions.

“We’re not like that. The most important thing out of this is getting an outcome where we get the game back, the players get paid and we survive all this.

“All this white noise, I ignore it. If we can start, the amount of people who will be watching our game will probably be the biggest audience we have had.

“It also puts us up there as a leader in the community. You have to give people hope.”