Teen star Bradman Best out after visit to mum

Newcastle centre forced to self-isolate after breaching the NRL’s COVID-19 biosecurity measures.

Bradman Best will miss the Knights’ game against the Cowboys Picture: Getty Images

Bradman Best had been forced to move out of the Central Coast home he shared with his parents.

When the NRL’s protocols were loosened late on Saturday, the teenage star rushed home to see them, having spent the past few months apart.

He had been told to move out of the family home by the game’s biosecurity experts because of fears the house put him in a COVID hotspot. The media attention that the protocols had been changed only added to the confusion on Saturday.

Under revamped conditions, players needed pre-approval to visit anyone which Best was unaware of on Sunday morning.

Had Best had his parents Tobi and Roger around his house, there would have been no problem, as players are allowed a handful of guests. Such is the complexity of the NRL’s biosecurity protocols.

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When Best felt he may have breached the rules he instantly reported the error to Knights officials on Monday. Best has been forced to stand down from Newcastle’s match against the Cowboys in Townsville on Saturday.

Knights coach Adam O’Brien said it was a simple error.

“He is a good young man who made an easy and honest mistake,” O’Brien said. “He thought it was a good opportunity to see his mum. He was completely upfront about it. He could’ve lied but when he thought he may have done something wrong he let us know straight away. That’s what I like about him.”

Best, 18, has been a revelation since making his return from injury in round two. He played three games last year and scored two tries in each of his opening two matches this year.

He will need to self-isolate for a week before rejoining the team in time to play Manly on July 5. The situation is different to Canterbury’s Aiden Tolman who has missed the past two games. Unlike Tolman, Best has not been exposed to the coronavirus so he does not need to spend two weeks away from the team.

Best has been replaced in the centres by Enari Tuala who gets to play his former club after being rested for Newcastle’s last-start win against Brisbane.

The Daily Telegraph