The NRL won’t have a revised season structure until at least next week after Friday’s Project Apollo committee meeting was postponed.
Wayne Pearce’s innovation committee had been due to convene on Friday, after days of talks between the NRL’s bosses and the game’s broadcasters.
However that has now been pushed back to early next week, as discussions with Nine and Foxtel to sort through the cost structure and logistics continue.
Once discussions with the broadcasters are finalised, Pearce’s committee will be tasked with quickly locking in a revamped schedule.
The NRL is also expected to pitch its plans to the NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro next week in what shapes as a crucial few days for the sport.
“The NRL have every right to pitch to government in relation to what the return of the NRL could be,” Barilaro said.
“Does it include the Warriors, the Queensland sides? We don’t know.
“Next week they’ll pitch to me their processes, protocols, their measures in relation to how they protect the community and those players.”
League officials are still confident they can work towards the planned May 28 restart.
The biggest hurdle still appears to be the Warriors.
Talks were ongoing between the players’ union, NRL and the club on Thursday, with Australia’s borders remaining closed and an exemption required.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday played down the suggestion of a relaxed border arrangement between Australia and New Zealand, with new coronavirus cases dropping in both nations.
There was also some suggestion the Warriors could train while in the mandatory two-week quarantine period, although that too would require a government exemption.
It now appears certain they won’t travel to Australia this weekend as planned, given they want clearer details on the season structure before leaving New Zealand.
One option could include the Auckland-based club missing the first round back, and playing a catch-up game over a State of Origin weekend or at the end of the season.
Whatever the case is, the Warriors will have the same pre-season length as every other team by the time they play their first game.
How long or short that pre-season would be is being discussed by the workloads and balance committee, which includes players’ union boss Clint Newton, the NRL’s Graham Annesley and experienced club trainers.
Beyond that, player safety still remains a key talking point for the union as they too push for the game’s return.
Questions must also be answered around what access players will have to surgery, doctors and their usual injury management.
There is also a desire for families to join players in any camp scenario, which will likely involve the Warriors and Queensland teams as well as potentially Melbourne.
Any changes to pay must also be discussed, dependent on what is agreed to between Nine, Foxtel and the league.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Fittler is well informed , meanwhile the QLD state premier looks like she has been looking at too much social media.
Big Daddy
Guest
C'mon Souvalis, last time I checked Fittler wasn't a State Premier or was a registered doctor so to me he's just another I'll informed punter.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
We’re talking about a state’s major sporting event that looks like being held, if at all, in November being trashed as unequivocally unplayable in early April. I’m not waiting for the Victorian Premier to announce this week that their major sports event, the Melbourne Cup categorically won’t be run this year regardless of developments in the next 7 months. Freddy was right..ludicrous.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Of course it's ludicrous to not have an open mind, Fittler is correct and the QLD premier has started to back track already. Where has Fittler indicated he wants to put football before anything else in the country? He has clearly stated that he puts the advice from medical experts above anything? It's not a radical or selfish stance at all. It's ironic that it's the doom and gloom merchants who aren't listening to the medical experts not the other way round.
Big Daddy
Guest
He has been continuously attacking the Qld premier for her statements about not having SOO saying it's ludicrous and unpolitical of her for not having an open mind. ¡!!!!!
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
I must have missed the bit where Fittler said he didn't care about anything other than winning his third title in a row. All I've heard is commonsense and an open mind from him. Any quotes from Fittler to back up your claims? Sounds like made up nonsense but if it's true I'm sure the medical experts won't be taking advice off anyone from the NRL or ill informed punters on social media who have somehow already decided that the game can't safely start again in 6 weeks time.
Big Daddy
Guest
Maybe they should get Fittler on their committee. All he seems to do is bag every politician that speaks out. I think he was a great footballers but he wants to put football before everything else in this country to satisfy his own need to win 3 in a row.
peter ostle
Guest
Nat you forgot to mention Laika, the first dog in space, and the first dog to die in space. V'landys as Khrushchev: it would be a fun chairmanship.
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
Yes. Pure gold. Those 2 Roosters titles in a row must still be upsetting for some people. Get over it & grow up. I suppose with the NRL hiatus the Roosters Haters have plenty of time for their brains "to tick over" or perhaps the mental capacity may prove to be a hindrance in that process.
Big Daddy
Guest
First casualty today in clubland. Woy Woy Leagues ( owned by East's) will not reopen their doors. Closed permanently. I'm sure there will be a lot more small clubs go under. It's a shame Woy Woy Rugby League club worked hard to get that club going only to be taken over by East's and now gone.
Big Daddy
Guest
Nat, I preferred it when they sent the monkeys.
Nat
Roar Guru
It is a good analogy. Those crazy Russians and their cheap shoddy space craft. All they did was: 1st to send as space craft into space. 1st to send a man into space. 1st woman into space. 1st to land a man made object on the moon. 1st to operate a Luna probe on the moon. I'm sure the US prides themselves in being the very best at following the leaders. AFL may just enjoy the same sense of pride. In not sure, I'll be 4weeks into NRL season. ;)
peter ostle
Guest
No, I think my analogy is better. The early years of NASA, it was created in 1958, was not to go to the moon but coordinate research into flights into space etc. Until then one issue the US had was that it had multiple organisations - military and industrial - working in concert and at loggerheads. The moon was made the goal by JFK in 1961. JFK, plus others, realised the US was seemingly playing the Soviet aims etc, so he decided to up the ante.
Nick
Roar Guru
But even then, it just doesn't seem that he has permission from NSW either. He seems to have secured some kind of support, not necessarily a tick of approval. Like I said, either the NRL is misinformed or the NSW government is. I lean to the former being misinformed. Yeah, I would rather the absolutely ultra-cautious/conservative approach that not just minimises risks, but minimises the potential for comp to be shut down later. The Age is reporting that the AFL is aiming for July...5 weeks after the NRL. Seems sensible.
LeftRight
Guest
Sorry, looks like I got this wrong. Looks like it's an AFL player in Melbourne.
LeftRight
Guest
I didn't mention player behaviour in my initial post as it was getting pretty long. This will probably be their biggest problem. I believe I heard the Tigers captain has been fined today for breaking NSW COVID laws - a real shot in the foot for the NRL if this is the case.
Big Daddy
Guest
Spruce, that's a very enlightening link you have supplied. To me it is saying that the NRL have got permission from someone in NSW government but if this is truly a national competition surely they must have agreement from Qld and NZ authorities as well as NSW. I've yet to see any agreement from both those parties. If there's no agreement unilaterally from all I can't see them proceeding on the date planned. If he proceeds without agreement from Qld and NZ it makes a bit of a mockery of this "Stand as One " slogan they are advertising. I'm like you being ultra cautious . I would love to see league back but we'll see how it plays out.
Nick
Roar Guru
I think the better analogy is that the NRL are the soviets sending men into space by cutting all corners where possible, while the AFL are the Americans who are prepared to perhaps make a few mistakes early on but get to the end goal of the Moon while the soviets petered out. The manned soviet missions of the 1960's compared to the US ones were extraordinarily dangerous (and that's not saying the US were safe).
peter ostle
Guest
The NRL want to be Apollo 13, at the moment it seems to be following the path of early US attempts to beat the Soviets: Vangaurd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVeFkakURXM.
Nick
Roar Guru
Yeah - they are trying, and that's a start, but I still cannot fathom how they possibly think a May 28 start date was fair and reasonable considering the only way that would be fair would be to get the Warriors over by Sunday. If (and that's a big IF) May 28 actually comes to fruition, the Warriors are unfairly compromised. They deserve a break somehow.