Players Banned From Indoor Venues Under New NRL Covid Protocols

[B-Train]

The NRL has introduced a universal ban on each of their 480 players within the competition from entering any kind of indoor venue amid rising Covid cases across the country.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported the new preventive measures will include businesses such as pubs, clubs and cinemas and visitors attempting to enter the home of any NRL player will need to provide a negative Rapid Antigen Test.

The NRL are desperate to stop the spread of Covid-19 throughout their playing ranks, with partners and children of any player that currently live in a different location also required to provide a negative test before entering their home.

NRL players will no longer be allowed to order a counter lunch, visit nightclubs or go to the movies.

However players will still be able to visit cafes and restaurants provided they are seated outside and use table service.

For the few NRL players that remain unvaccinated against the virus, stricter protocols including no visitors, no trips to other homes and an inability to train indoors or with a partner have also been implemented.

Unvaccinated players will also be made to train, eat and bathe away from teammates once their pre-season training programs resume on Thursday.

Under previously released protocols, each of the NRL players set to take part in the 2022 season will be asked to provide clear results from daily RATs when they return to their clubs for the next phase of pre-season.

The NRL and ARLC are still yet to confirm their road map for how they plan to steer the competition through the inevitable event of players contracting Covid during the season.

A formal response to Raiders coach Ricky Stuart’s demands to expand playing rosters in an effort to provide sufficient depth to combat the Covid crisis is yet to be rel

 

[Baseball Furies]

Looking forward to seeing how these new rules will be be enforced, imagine people with phones ready to snap and snitch on players.

 

[B-Train]

Good luck implementing that. I don't know how the RLPA would sign off on that. Talk about overkill..

The NRL need to realise most players are going to get Omicron at some stage. Preventing players from going to the pub isn't going to change much.

 

[B-Train]

Looking forward to seeing how these new rules will be be enforced, imagine people with phones ready to snap and snitch on players.

Then we'll see media circuses where a player takes his kids to the movies to see Sing 2 and gets more negative press than Jaryd Hayne.

 

[TwinTurbo]

Unvaccinated players will also be made to train, eat and bathe away from teammates once their pre-season training programs resume on Thursday.

Only the NRL could dream up this shit, no gym work, no dojo, limited Physio, no team video session, no access to recovery equipment, etc who are they kidding, that’s unworkable.

They are too chicken to say “no unvaccinated players”, once again leaving it to the clubs to implement the appropriate action and face the inevitable resistance.

Always a Bulldog

 

[Dognacious]

Good luck implementing that. I don't know how the RLPA would sign off on that. Talk about overkill..

The NRL need to realise most players are going to get Omicron at some stage. Preventing players from going to the pub isn't going to change much.

They have to try something coz they can't afford to have games cancelled because of covid in teams. So far in bbl this season 2 matches have been cancelled and in another a team had to field a reserve grade side due to covid. Would suck if it happens in the nrl.

 

[Dognacious]

Unvaccinated players will also be made to train, eat and bathe away from teammates once their pre-season training programs resume on Thursday.

Only the NRL could dream up this shit, no gym work, no dojo, limited Physio, no team video session, no access to recovery equipment, etc who are they kidding, that’s unworkable.

They are too chicken to say “no unvaccinated players”, once again leaving it to the clubs to implement the appropriate action and face the inevitable resistance.

Always a Bulldog

Tbh I'm surprised there are any anti vaxxers left rostered to teams. Since the states won't let those players cross the borders they have limited usefulness.

 

[flamebouyant]

And the covid shot show continues. First it was a massive push to force everyone to get vaccinated, and now they still have no priveledges or freedom, even though they were vaxxed.

 

[B-Train]

They have to try something coz they can't afford to have games cancelled because of covid in teams. So far in bbl this season 2 matches have been cancelled and in another a team had to field a reserve grade side due to covid. Would suck if it happens in the nrl.

Players and staff are still going to be with their families and then going back to training every day where they can all infect each other. Limiting them from seeing a movie or going to the pub isn't going to prevent players from getting infected. It might slightly reduce the chances, but after two years of keeping them in bubbles and the Warriors players not seeing their families, I think they've been under enough restrictions and sacrificed enough..

This variant is far more contagious but less severe. The NRL will need to do what the NBA and NFL have done in recent weeks and reduce the time players need to be in protocols/isolation for otherwise they'll have to cancel multiple games a week.

Basically, they need to accept everyone will get it and play through it after players are in protocols for a few days and stop showing symptoms.

If they're going to suggest this, then they might as well bring the Bubble back and have them play in Perth for the whole season.

 

[wendog33]

Broncs had 4 players as of yesterday.

Anyone know how many Gus said we had?

I guess they had to do something but just say they have to be vaxxed. Even tho we know it doesnt do much for transmission anyway now but it might help reduce severity throughout the team and they recover quicker?

The players will still have their children going to school and wives having to go out food shopping for the family?

Doesn't seem that sensible... but they tried lol

 

[diddly]

No one will be allowed to travel by plane or go to an airport based on these rules
If it is correct that Omicron is much less severe it should be treated differently to the delta strain - treat it like a flu.

Two months to the comp starts -a lot will change - cant see how the rules as outlined will make any difference to transmission - all should be triple vaxxed by then and probably already had Omicron

 

[Psycho Doggie]

NRL is no doubt looking at what is happening in BBL and English Football and any number of other current competitions. It is a lot harder to postpone an NRL game compared with a Twenty20 or a Football match. If someone on their watch gets seriously ill (unlikely, but not impossible), or if the season gets messed up due to postponed/cancelled games, the inevitable outcry would be "why didn't you do more?". They are prioritising protecting themselves against that possibility.

 

[wendog33]

No one will be allowed to travel by plane or go to an airport based on these rules
If it is correct that Omicron is much less severe it should be treated differently to the delta strain - treat it like a flu.

Two months to the comp starts -a lot will change - cant see how the rules as outlined will make any difference to transmission - all should be triple vaxxed by then and probably already had Omicron

Can anyone explain the rationale, or long game, of contracted unvaxxed players training on their own?

They can't travel interstate? Do you still have to be double vaxxed to get on a plane? Will the NRL get their own plane?

If they can't train together then presumably they can't play together? Will the opposition admin, who's players may be all vaxxed, let them play against that opp unvaxxed team member?

If they cant train together and are isolated, they surely can't play....someone needs to make some hard decisions and clarify this before too much longer.

At present it looks near on impossible to start the season let alone complete it but hopefully the numbers heavily reduce as predicted after this wave.

 

[Alan79]

Good luck with keeping a bunch of spoiled man children following strict rules and regulations when they aren't under heavy surveillance.

 

[The DoggFather]

Let's Just have a league of bubble boys

 

[B-Train]

Let's Just have a league of bubble boys

It's Moops

 

[senshidog]

Vlandys and Abdo don't seem to have a clue. Just throwing darts blind. This won't work.

How are interstate teams going to play each other?
What about staying in hotels during their stay?
What about sharing planes heading from point A to point B?
What about airports?
What about greeting fans after a game? I guess thats a NO NO.

and of course Buldogs have several away games to begin the season (5 of our first 10 are away), being Townsville/Canberra/Melb/Brisbane (x2).

Bound to cause us some real issues.

 

[diddly]

It's Moops

There is a great Seinfeld twitter thread Seinfeld today you might like - below is an example

Elaine loses her shit when she gets to the front of the line and testing site is closed, Jerry suspects his new gf has a fake vax certificate, Kramer believes he has a new strain called Cosmocron, and George woos a woman by pretending he is a hardcore anti-vaxxer

 

[SPEARTAKVIDREFS]

Unvaxxed players need to be dropped, payed out, moved on, whatever.
I know its fucked but there is no other solution.
Im all for choice but there just doesnt seem to be any other way around it.
If players cant train/travel etc than you cant have a league.

 

[Malla]

Yeah if these 'working conditions' are here to stay then anyone unvaxxed should be moved on.

I don't agree with these restrictions and I think the players and players association need to step to the plate and let it be known. Big names need to step up as well. In the past, they havent because of the impact it might have to their salary, but if they are serious about this they need to. I think the NRL needs to accept they will need to live with this, and their proposed changes are not sustainable in living with the virus.

Now if you want to be a footy player you have to give him going out, watching movies, eating indoors and inviting more than 10 people over to your house. Its ridiculous.