Project Apollo: NRL’s mission to get back by July 1

A football innovation committee – christened Project Apollo in deference to America’s program to get the first human on the moon — has been formed to get the NRL back up and running.

Tigers great Wayne Pearce is part of a new committee charged with getting the NRL up and running again. Picture: Brett Costello

Wayne Pearce has always been the optimistic type. So, he says, are the other people on the newly-formed football innovation committee — christened Project Apollo in deference to America’s program to get the first human on the moon — as they attempt to get the premiership up and running by July 1, or potentially earlier.

Pearce aside, the committee also includes Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson, Canberra chief executive Don Furner, NRL head of football Graham Annesley, chief commercial officer Andrew Abdo, chief corporate affairs officer Liz Deegan and former deputy premier Troy Grant.

They will spend coming days and weeks exploring the permutations as rugby league chases what many believe is the impossible dream — a return to the playing fields again this season.

Somewhat ambitiously, Pearce and key figures at Rugby League Central are starting to believe a return may yet be possible in June.

“We’ve called it Project Apollo,” Pearce said. “Because when (President) Kennedy said he wanted to get a man on the moon by the end of the decade people didn’t think it was possible. Not even the people working on the project.

“The boss Peter V’landys has said he wants a July 1 start.”

It may be before then. Rugby league officials are growing increasingly confident that the game may be able to return behind closed doors before July 1 — mid-June now forms part of their planning.

Most likely, that would involve players being isolated — if not in one place, then in different “bubbles” as part of a conference ­system.

There is a belief that the players, having tasted life without rugby league, will adhere more strictly to the self-isolation protocols that the NRL introduced last week in the lead-up to their potential return.

If the curve keeps tracking the way it has in recent days, officials believe there is no reason why the competition can’t resume at some point in June.

“We’re tracking towards a July 1 start date or possibly a bit earlier if we can make it happen earlier,” Pearce said. “We will see what happens. Everyone on the committee was brought on the committee because they are an optimist and they are lateral thinkers. We definitely think it can ­happen.”

Pearce and the committee will spend the next week exploring their options before meeting again late next week. “We have to factor in key priorities. One is the safety of the players and the safety of the community,” he said.

“We’re looking at creating what we call a bubble — how can we put a bubble around the players, whether that is in one environment which has more risks, or whether that is in a number of small bubbles or hubs.

“If that is the case, what does the competition look like — is it a conference structure? That is the work we are going to look at over the next week.”