RLPA boss Clint Newton urges caution on proposed NRL return

Players’ union boss Clint Newton has cooled the jets on rugby league’s return by insisting there are still a number hurdles to be cleared.

Rugby League Players Association chief executive Clint Newton. Picture: AAP

Players’ union boss Clint Newton has urged Project Apollo chief Wayne Pearce to be more careful with his comments and has cooled the jets on rugby league’s return by insisting there are still hurdles to be cleared before the game can resume.

Newton, the chief executive of the Rugby League Players Association, was concerned by Pearce’s bullish comments after a meeting of Project Apollo on Wednesday — the ARL commissioner declared rugby league players would definitely be back training on May 4 and the game would resume on May 28.

Newton, who is also a member of the Project Apollo team, seemed taken aback by the conviction of Pearce’s comments. He pointed to issues that still needed to be resolved, in particular the health and safety of players and the financial rewards they will receive for getting back on the park.

The sense is that Pearce’s words rather than his sentiments were the issue. With so many issues to be resolved, some players are believed to have questioned how he could be so definitive.

Some club bosses were equally bemused. Newton took the ball up on the players’ behalf on Thursday as he preached patience while the game worked towards addressing all the players’ concerns.

“I understand the intention about remaining positive about resuming on those dates,” Newton said.

“We have a level of responsibility that anyone who is associated with that Project Apollo group, that when we come out of those meetings, there is a true reflection of where we landed

“There is no definite start date. Those dates are dates we are working towards. Players are standing shoulder to shoulder with the game to try and resume.

“The reality is there are a number of hurdles we need to clear.”

Newton was spared what could have been an uncomfortable situation on Friday when Project Apollo postponed its scheduled meeting until next week amid more argy-bargy from the Nine Network over the fate of the rugby league season.

The broadcaster released a statement claiming it was premature to suggest May 28 was an iron-clad guarantee. Newton clearly agreed.

“It’s my understanding everyone is working towards those dates — they are not set in stone,” Newton said.

“There are things which need to be worked through. Just to be clear — we’re not being obstructive. Players want to be out there.

“They wanted to be out there yesterday and wanted to play. We need to work through the health and safety and recognise this does fall under work health and safety.

“There is a lot of detail which needs to be included. You can have the best protocols and guidelines but it comes down to your ability to implement and enforce those.

“We have to work towards that.”

It is not just the players who have concerns. The Queensland clubs in particular have issues over their ability to train at their facilities. There is every chance they may be forced to relocate to NSW for a time.

“If you look at everything going on at the moment, life’s not fair,” Cowboys coach Paul Green said. “There’s a number of different industries where this situation we’re in has wreaked havoc. Will it all be fair if teams have to relocate? Probably not.

“But ... if we want to get the footy back on board we need to deal with it and get on with it.”