The NRL will resume play on May 28 after getting the go-ahead to continue the season by the government, the league has announced.
ARL Commissioner Wayne Pearce confirmed that teams will begin training on May 4 before the season resumes on May 28.
He also confirmed that points earned in the first two rounds of the competition will remain.
Tui Kamikamica and Brenko Lee of the Melbourne Storm arrive to train in Melbourne, Wednesday, April 15, 2020
ARL Commissioner Wayne Pearce confirmed that teams will begin training on May 4 before the season resumes on May 28
‘What we achieved today was a lot more clarity around the medical process and what those protocols are,’ Pearce told NRL.com.
‘We clarified that May 28 is a definite and also confirmed that May 4 is the resumption date for training.
‘What was also confirmed that the competition points that had been earned in the first two rounds will carry over to the extended competition.
‘Everyone is supportive of what we’re doing. Everyone is unified into getting back on the field.
‘We feel like we owe it to not just the players and coaches but the thousands of staff members at various clubs and associated industries that are out on the unemployment lines too.’
Canberra Raiders players celebrate during their game against the Gold Coast Titans at GIO Stadium on March 13
The Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs NRL club in lock down following the cancellation of all NRL matches indefinitely, Sydney, Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Pearce said there is still discussion around the structure of the competition, which is yet to be finalised with stakeholders.
The key stakeholders in regards to the competition structure are the broadcasters so we’re liaising with the broadcasters at the moment,’ he said.
‘We hope that we’ll be in a position, sooner rather than later, to announce what the competition structure looks like and what the end date of the competition will be.’
Lockdown measures will ease across the Tasman next week, but the club are still yet to gain a travel exemption to arrive in Australia.
Players and staff are also likely to have to remain in quarantine for two weeks once landing, however there is some chance the NRL could push for them to be able to train.
Effectively that would be the only way the Warriors could resume training at the same time as other clubs.
‘We’re working through all those details, we haven’t finalised that yet,’ Pearce said.
‘We are working with the government authorities to get them over here, get them through a quarantine period and have them ready with the other teams for the start of the competition.’
Renouf To’omaga of Canterbury Bulldogs playing against the North Queensland Cowboys at ANZ Stadium on March 19, 2020
Meanwhile, Pearce also revealed the NRL are hoping interstate players will not have to relocate and set up camp in NSW.
At this stage, none of the three Queensland-based clubs will be able to travel back and forth across the border while the Victorian government’s position is unclear.
‘As of today, those teams would have to come into camp in NSW,’ Pearce said.
‘But the landscape is changing pretty quickly. The government authorities are very supportive of what we are looking to do.
‘Because we actually are looking to hold ourselves to a very high standard. It will certainly exceed what community expectations are.’
NRL boss Todd Greenberg has stood down after increased criticism over the sate of the game’s financial woes were laid bare by the coronavirus lockdown
Luciano Leilua of the Wests Tigers scores a try during the round 2 NRL match between the Wests Tigers and the Newcastle Knights at Leichhardt Oval on March 22, 2020
The confirmation comes just days after NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg sensationally quit on Monday afternoon.
Just days after emailing NRL employees warning of job cuts, Greenberg himself became the first big departure of the Peter V’landys era.
His exit was not about cost saving, but rather a ‘mutual agreement’ after ‘reflecting on the needs of the game’ according to an NRL statement.
He will be replaced by chief commercial officer Andrew Abdo in the interim, with the South African-born executive a chance to become the NRL’s fourth boss in eight years.
Pressure on Greenberg only grew last week NRL TV rights holder Channel Nine hit out at ‘mismanagement of the code’ in recent years, in a bombshell statement.
‘At Nine we had hoped to work with the NRL on a solution to the issues facing rugby league in 2020, brought on so starkly by COVID-19,’ the statement began.
‘But this health crisis in our community has highlighted the mismanagement of the code over many years. Nine has invested hundreds of millions in this game over decades and we now find they have profoundly wasted those funds with very little to fall back on to support the clubs, the players and supporters.