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Million-dollar players will be used as ball boys on the sidelines when the NRL resumes this week.
Under strict biosecurity rules, game day numbers for each club are restricted to 20 players and 12 staff members who have been in isolation.
This rules out the regular ball boys and girls.
“There have been discussions about using players who are not in the top 17 who will be at the ground anyway,” said the NRL’s Head of Football Graham Annesley.
“You can’t have a clean zone and use the kids who haven’t been in isolation.
“A staff member or player will have to do it.”
Sharks skipper and RLPA board member Wade Graham says it won’t be a problem for the players.
“Lots of us started out as ball boys anyway. It would be fine,” he said.
“It all hands on deck to get the comp going again. If they need the 18th or 19th man to get out there and kick the footballs back, then so be it. There won’t be any drama.”
One player from each club would be required to do the ball-boy duties.
“They would remain on the field in the clean zone to retrieve the footballs,” Annesley said, “but the team trainers will run the kicking tees.”
Another person from each club would be in the ‘dirty’ zone to regather footballs kicked into the empty grandstands.
The balls would be then washed when they are returned to the field of play.
RLPA boss Clint Newtown agrees the players will be prepared to take on the job.
“These have been desperate times – the players are up for it,” he said.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...s/news-story/d8f5e0707cecfb0bda13de3684a6d892
Under strict biosecurity rules, game day numbers for each club are restricted to 20 players and 12 staff members who have been in isolation.
This rules out the regular ball boys and girls.
“There have been discussions about using players who are not in the top 17 who will be at the ground anyway,” said the NRL’s Head of Football Graham Annesley.
“You can’t have a clean zone and use the kids who haven’t been in isolation.
“A staff member or player will have to do it.”
Sharks skipper and RLPA board member Wade Graham says it won’t be a problem for the players.
“Lots of us started out as ball boys anyway. It would be fine,” he said.
“It all hands on deck to get the comp going again. If they need the 18th or 19th man to get out there and kick the footballs back, then so be it. There won’t be any drama.”
One player from each club would be required to do the ball-boy duties.
“They would remain on the field in the clean zone to retrieve the footballs,” Annesley said, “but the team trainers will run the kicking tees.”
Another person from each club would be in the ‘dirty’ zone to regather footballs kicked into the empty grandstands.
The balls would be then washed when they are returned to the field of play.
RLPA boss Clint Newtown agrees the players will be prepared to take on the job.
“These have been desperate times – the players are up for it,” he said.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...s/news-story/d8f5e0707cecfb0bda13de3684a6d892
