NRL on the move

[twentyforty]

**ARLC announces 12 clubs relocating to Queensland due to COVID spike**
Dan WalshSun 11 Jul 2021, 07:13 PM
Twelve NRL clubs will relocate to south-east Queensland for a month to keep the 2021 competition alive.

After an exhaustive day of meetings in response to the surging COVID-19 outbreak in greater Sydney, club CEOs were informed on Sunday night that the majority of clubs would need to shift to the Sunshine State, starting from Wednesday.

Wednesday's Ampol State of Origin series finale had already been moved on Saturday night from Newcastle to the Gold Coast to ensure fans could attend the match.

All NSW and ACT based teams will move to south-east Queensland for one month to minimise risk of the Telstra Premiership being impacted by the growing COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney.

They will relocate to dedicated hubs by Wednesday and play home matches out of Suncorp Stadium, Cbus Super Stadium or Sunshine Coast Stadium.

All Queensland-based clubs, along with the Melbourne Storm will continue to be based and play home games out of their current home cities.

The NRL is finalising arrangements with the Queensland Government to ensure every club has access to appropriate facilities at each hub.

Clubs will be flown on charter flights to Queensland and comply with Apollo Protocols and public health requirements to ensure no risk to the Queensland Community. Every club will be permitted a maximum of 41 players and staff while in Queensland.

Several clubs had already prepared players and staff to be ready for such a move, earlier on Sunday.

Canberra and Newcastle will join the nine Sydney sides and Central Coast-based Warriors in relocating.

A revised schedule with the location of games for the next 4 Rounds will be released in the coming days.

Clubs will relocate and players will remain under the same COVID-19 restrictions that limit movements to training, games and essential shopping for at least 14 days.

Family members are set to be allowed to join them as part of a staged relocation process, though they too will have to undergo two weeks of quarantine as well.

The mass relocation comes after NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian's forecast that she "will be shocked" if Sydney records less than 100 active COVID-19 cases on Monday.

A third week of Greater Sydney's lockdown started on Sunday with news of 77 locally acquired cases.

Pre-season training for each of the six NRLW teams in the expanded competition had also been due to start on Monday, but Project Apollo has now pushed that date back a week with contingencies for the competition to be worked out this week.

Breaches of the NRL's strict level-four Apollo protocols by Dragons players and Queensland star Jai Arrow in the past week have put the NRL's travel exemptions at risk, with 12 St George Illawarra players still yet to return to training ahead of Friday's clash with Manly.

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said on The Sunday Footy Show those breaches had threatened the game's travel exemptions, and in turn its short-term future, as negotiations continue regarding sworn statements from Dragons players that would ensure no one other than players were at Paul Vaughan's party last weekend.

NRL.com understands 10 of the 12 players involved in the breach have signed the statements as of early Sunday afternoon, with Abdo "fairly confident we'll get a resolution of that in the next 24 hours".

Greater Sydney's worsening COVID-19 situation has also made the Warriors' long-awaited return to Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium – scheduled for August 15 in round 22 – unlikely given the travel exemptions required, though Abdo said the late of that fixture would be decided in conjunction with the club.

Friday night's Rabbitohs v Cowboys game was relocated from Stadium Australia to Newcastle due to the Greater Sydney lockdown

Why are they not using Townsville stadium? Surely it would make sense to have 3-5 teams + the cowboys up there

Not enough tents.

 

[boonboon]

does the 30 man squad all relocate?

30 players from each club. Be interesting too see which 30 players we take. I doubt its the 29 nrl players. Id say some sta at home for injur or just not being needed like Packer for example while Pagua who has been in the 21 for weekes prob goes

 

[Jedi_Tiger]

does the 30 man squad all relocate?

30 players from each club. Be interesting too see which 30 players we take. I doubt its the 29 nrl players. Id say some sta at home for injur or just not being needed like Packer for example while Pagua who has been in the 21 for weekes prob goes

interesting if they take
Simpkin
Simpkins
leave Packer behind
take some development player if he is injured like Pagua

 

[hobbo1]

Stupid idea allowing players family’s to go

 

[Don Kershane]

Stupid idea allowing players family’s to go

Given a lot of players have huge extended families maybe a good idea to get them out of areas where a lot of them live.

 

[Harvey]

NRL needs someone with vision there, they should be seeing this as an opportunity.

I am not which states would accept them, but assuming that they do 14 days in qld they should look at the games scheduled for the rest of the season and move them around.

They could send 6 clubs to Perth and 4 to Adelaide and have them play each other over a 2-3 week period. See what sort of crowds they get for more than one off games.

Could also have games broadcast into the east coast evening/night that are played in the day/evening in Perth.

 

[Jedi_Tiger]

we are based out of Brisbane with dragons and Broncos

 

[GCfan]

Meh

Just bin the season or go straight to the finals already

Outside of the top 4 teams would anyone really care?

Pretty sure the broadcasters would care

 

[Needaname]

we are based out of Brisbane with dragons and Broncos

The best scenario.

Could you imagine if we would of got a holiday on the beach?

 

[WT2K]

we are based out of Brisbane with dragons and Broncos

Souths on the GC. Wonder how many dancers arrow brings back this time

 

[Harvey]

This could be make or break for us. With supposed disharmony in the playing ranks forcing the players to live in each other pockets for a few weeks will either bring them together & we can then truly see what the team and coach are capable of, or the issues will explode and we will collapse in an absolute screaming heap.

This is like a Kiama camp on a grand scale.

 

[Speed2burn]

Meh

Just bin the season or go straight to the finals already

Outside of the top 4 teams would anyone really care?

Pretty sure the broadcasters would care

Cheers scoop

 

[GCfan]

Meh

Just bin the season or go straight to the finals already

Outside of the top 4 teams would anyone really care?

Pretty sure the broadcasters would care

Cheers scoop

Sorry I thought you were asking a question given the ? At the end of your sentence?

 

[Speed2burn]

Meh

Just bin the season or go straight to the finals already

Outside of the top 4 teams would anyone really care?

Pretty sure the broadcasters would care

Cheers scoop

Sorry I thought you were asking a question given the ? At the end of your sentence?

No hard feelings mate

I was speaking from a fans perspective, of course the broadcasters would care. They need the product to keep them in business
As a tigers supporter it’s been a truly unforgettable year and I wouldn’t care if it was canned

 

[Demps]


 

[Don Kershane]

we are based out of Brisbane with dragons and Broncos

Souths on the GC. Wonder how many dancers arrow brings back this time

Be more worried about Wayne parading on the beach with his bandy legs and saggy speedos. Might be too much of a temptation for Gold Coast beauties.

 

[Snake]

I think the Tigers have a bit of a supporter base in that area .. happy days for those dudes !👍

 

[Harvey]


Us and the Dogs belong in the Ipswich or Gladstone hub

 

[GCfan]

Meh

Just bin the season or go straight to the finals already

Outside of the top 4 teams would anyone really care?

Pretty sure the broadcasters would care

Cheers scoop

Sorry I thought you were asking a question given the ? At the end of your sentence?

No hard feelings mate

I was speaking from a fans perspective, of course the broadcasters would care. They need the product to keep them in business
As a tigers supporter it’s been a truly unforgettable year and I wouldn’t care if it was canned

No dramas. Don’t take it too hard mate, most of the players don’t care, why should you

 

[Geo]


Us and the Dogs belong in the Ipswich or Gladstone hub

Brisbane Tigers..oh wait...