Footy star slams ‘misguided information’ from Peter FitzSimons about the restart of the NRL season

NRL star slams ‘misguided’ Peter FitzSimons for questioning health protocols for restart of the season- saying players would be safe from COVID-19 even if they were ‘kissing each other’

• Melbourne star Sandor Earl hit out at ex-Wallaby over his criticism of NRL restart
• FitzSimons said May 28 restart ‘absolute madness’ with country still in lockdown
• Questioned logic of players being in close contact and returning to their families 
• Earl defended the season resuming saying players would be isolating as a team
• ‘With athletes we’re talking about strict measures to be able to play,’ Earl said 
• Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

By Charlie Coë For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 08:04 BST, 26 April 2020 | Updated: 08:43 BST, 26 April 2020

NRL star Sandor Earl has hit out at Peter FitzSimons after the ex-Wallaby criticised the decision to resume the NRL season despite the rest of Australia remaining in lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic. 

FitzSimons said it was ‘absolute madness’ for the league to start playing games again from May 28, claiming the league was benefiting from special treatment from the New South Wales government. 

The ex-Wallaby questioned the logic that funerals were still limited to a maximum of ten people but NRL players could be in close contact with each other before going home to their families.

But the Melbourne Storm winger said even if players were kissing each other they wouldn’t be spreading the virus if they remained isolated together as a group.

Former Wallaby star Peter FitzSimons has been criticised by NRL winger Sandor Earl for attacking the restart of the league’s season

‘As players we will literally be bound to our room, whether that’s accommodation in a hotel or our own houses, to training and then back,’ the 30-year-old said in a video posted to Twitter.

‘I feel like there was a bit of misguided information…a little bit of lack of knowledge and understanding around that area and the point was also brought up about five people at funerals and how it’s not fair for other people.

‘I think that’s a really bad example and a really bad link.’ 

He said a better comparison was with the hundreds of workers on high-rise construction projects who were mingling with each other and their communities.

‘With sports and athletes we’re talking about very strict isolated measures to be able to train and play,’ he said.

The Melbourne Storm winger said even if players were kissing or hugging each other they wouldn’t be spreading the virus if they remained isolated together as a group

‘It doesn’t matter whether we’re tackling each other, hugging each other or kissing each other the fact is we’re all isolated within a certain group and we’re taking extreme measures to then make sure we are not mingling within the community. 

The NRL has faced fierce criticism for announcing it will restart the 2020 season – including from the Nine Network – which said it would save $130million if the rest of the campaign was cancelled.

In his column for the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday, FitzSimons called on NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to put a stop to the scheduled May restart date. 

Earl (right) said hundreds of workers on high-rise construction projects were mingling with each other and their communities and NRL players didn’t pose the same risk

‘If you are going to open things up, so be it,’ he wrote.

‘But giving the green light to rugby league while the rest of us will have been stuck on red at the traffic lights for the past two months seems to be taking an insane and unnecessary risk.’

Coaches have said the NRL’s ‘mini-preseason’ is on hold ahead of the restart until the New Zealand Warriors are cleared to train as a group in Australia.

Earl (left) trains with  Melbourne Storm teammate Ryan Papenhuyzen in Melbourne on April 14 The NRL has been given ‘authorisation in writing’ from NSW authorities for the game to restart on May 28

ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys has flagged a decision on the competition structure early next week, and the NRL is confident of resolving the broadcast agreement and government clearances within the coming days.

The Warriors are awaiting approval from the Australian and state governments as well as Border Force to be cleared to arrive in the country, needing an exemption to train as a group instead of a mandatory 14-day isolation for individuals.

Following strict biosecurity measures, an exemption would allow the Warriors to resume training in just seven days on May 4.

:

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk