[ad_1]
The vaccination of players is quickly becoming the most complicated issue in the NRL and. as pre-season begins, foxsports.com.au can reveal no club is yet fully innoculated against Covid-19.
The NRL only managed to finish the 2021 season amid outbreaks in New South Wales and Victoria by moving the entire competition to Queensland in July.
The country is slowly opening up, but largely only to vaccinated people and the rules in each state vary significantly.
Catch all the ICC T20 World Cup action live & exclusive to Fox Cricket, available on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today.
Several players have spoken out against mandating the vaccine and it’s shaping up as a logistical nightmare for the NRL next season.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Storm), Luke Thompson (Bulldogs), John Asiata (Bulldogs), Dylan Walker (Sea Eagles), Api Koroisau (Panthers) and Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys) have reportedly been hesitant in getting jabbed.
Raiders football manager Matt Ford told the Canberra Times that the club have several unvaccinated players.
No players have publicly declared they will walk away from the game instead of being vaccinated.
The NRL has implemented protocols and told clubs to designate separate eating and bathroom areas for players who are yet to receive two jabs.
The protocols also restrict players who are unvaccinated or have only had one jab from using indoor gyms, public transport and going to the pub.
Additionally, they cannot have visitors at their home or attend other households.
The NRL has banned unvaccinated players in NSW from training with teammates until December 1.
NSW Health orders outline unvaccinated people can only gather for sport or exercise with “one other person or with your household”.
MORE NRL NEWS
QUICK BACK-PEDAL: Cameron Munster commits to Storm in blow to Dolphins
NEW DEAL: Sink or swim: Kevvie signs new Broncos deal… but it’s like no other before
JOEY’S VOW: Andrew Johns makes promise to Luke Brooks if he joins the Knights
LOCKED UP: ‘Bottom-feeder’: Truth about Jarryd Hayne’s life in prison laid bare
Under the health orders, if a team trains within a stadium precinct, an unvaccinated player cannot enter that facility.
That means unvaccinated players in NSW cannot train with teammates until those rules are eased – unless they’re using the club’s private grounds.
Those rules are slated to ease on either December 15 or when 95 per cent of the eligible population is vaccinated. NSW is expected to hit 90 per cent today.
A Raiders spokesperson said the ACT does not have the same rules and all their players are currently able to partake in pre-season training while adhering to the NRL protocols.
Queensland is currently COVID-free and there are no restrictions on unvaccinated people but the state is slated to open its borders on December 17 and those rules are expected to change.
Victorian health orders have mandated that all essential workers, which includes professional athletes, must have had two shots of a COVID-19 vaccine by November 26 in order to work in Victoria.
That means not only will the Storm’s squad need to be jabbed, but unvaccinated players at rival clubs will be unable to play away games in Melbourne.
Storm star Asofa-Solomona looks unlikely to join his teammates for pre-season next month after doubling down on his vaccination stance last week.
“Front line nurses speaking out. Ask the question, why are they willing to lose their job to not get the juice? What are they seeing that we don’t see,” Asofa-Solomona posted on social media last week.
Storm CEO Justin Rodski conceded there would be “significant implications” for Asofa-Solomona if he remained unvaccinated.
Asofa-Solomona has two years to run on his contract – worth $675,000 per season – and faces the possibility of being stood down over his stance.
“Clearly there could be implications for the club if we do have an unvaccinated player,” Rodski said.
“They won’t be able to train and therefore won’t be able to fulfil their contract, which clearly has significant implications on our club and on a player that’s being paid a lot of money.
“We want them to come and do a proper pre-season so that they’re ready to play.”
MORE NRL NEWS
OFF-SEASON CENTRAL: Dolphins signs former Broncos player Ben Te’o
SIGNED: Eels ward off Dolphins raid with RCG inking $2.4 million extension
ALL ABOARD: The Panthers have built a freight train. Can they stay on the tracks?
HE’S BACK: Kangaroos coach Meninga to work for QLD again – but there’s a catch
The AFL has made the vaccine compulsory but the NRL has issued a directive to clubs that left the mandating of vaccinations in their respective hands.
The directive also said clubs should be guided by their own legal advice when it came to the contractual implications of players refusing to be vaccinated.
The Bulldogs have informed all players and officials they expect them to be double vaccinated, which was not unanimously well received.
“I’ve always said those with the ability to make a difference also have the obligation to do so and at the Bulldogs we take our community responsibility really seriously,” Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould said.
The Roosters were reportedly on the cusp of mandating the vaccine before reportedly being talked out of it by rugby league boss Peter V’Landys.
The NRL is still working through how it will tackle the problem for next season but they confirmed unvaccinated players will not enjoy the same freedoms as everyone else.
Get all the latest NRL news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!
“All clubs are providing the NRL with the vaccination status of their players,” an NRL spokesperson told foxsports.com.au.
“There will be different protocols for vaccinated and unvaccinated players throughout the season.”
COVID-19 RULES FOR PLAYERS
NSW – Unvaccinated players cannot train with teammates until either December 15 or when the state is 95 per cent vaccinated. However, they can train from December 1 – adhering to NRL protocols – if their club has private grounds.
QLD – All players can partake in pre-season training while adhering to NRL protocols, but that could change on December 17 when the state opens its borders.
ACT – All players can partake in pre-season training while adhering to the NRL protocols.
VIC – Unvaccinated players cannot partake in any team activities.
Foxsports.com.au contacted every club about their squad’s vaccination status. All except the Warriors – who will do their pre-season in Queensland – and the Raiders were open about their vaccination status.
Here are their responses:
PENRITH PANTHERS: By the time the players return for pre-season training in December, we anticipate 95 per cent of the squad or more to be fully vaccinated.
BRISBANE BRONCOS: The Broncos are still processing the NRL’s guidelines as they relate to the situation in QLD. We are actively working towards having our full squad vaccinated as quickly as possible. We start back on November 9.
SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS: The bulk of our squad returns to training after 1 December due to our progression through to the grand final last season. We’re very confident that our players will have the appropriate level of vaccination to return to training by their return dates. The whole squad is back on December 17.
CRONULLA SHARKS: Players back to training dates are staggered depending on circumstances but we don’t envisage any issues once they are all scheduled to return. We are currently 85 per cent two jabs, 97 per cent one dose. Our first group of players return on November 4, all players returning then will be fully vaccinated.
PARRAMATTA EELS: We are more than comfortable that our squad will be able to comply with all the relevant public health orders by the time they return to training in mid to late November.
GOLD COAST TITANS: We’re confident we’ll be 100 per cent or very close by the time the playing group returns. Rookies are back November 1, under five pre-seasons on November 15 and veterans are back on November 29.
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS: We’re at 95 per cent double vaccinated with the hope of being at 100% by the time the whole squad is back in mid-November. Since we train out of our own private venue, there are only a couple of restrictions for unvaccinated players like using different bathrooms and eating areas. Pre-season starts November 5 for the younger guys and November 19 for the veterans.
CANTERBURY BULLDOGS: Players have a staggered return to training based on RLPA guidelines, with the first group returning this week. We are close to 100 per cent vaccinated.
WESTS TIGERS: The club is certainly supportive of everyone that can be vaccinated to do so in order to assist with the health and safety of all Australians. The majority of the squad is vaccinated with the hope that all players are vaccinated well in advance of the Christmas break.
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS: We’re on track to have every player vaccinated and back for pre-season as they’re required.
SYDNEY ROOSTERS: The majority of the squad is not due to return to training until the first week of December. We are currently at more than 95 per cent double vaccinated.
MELBOURNE: The expectation is that 100 per cent of our players will be fully vaccinated by the time they are required to return to training, which for a number of our senior players will be December 7. Those who have already returned to training are fully vaccinated as required by the Victorian Government.
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS: The Knights are happy to confirm our club will be ready to return to training in line with the various return dates required. We will have 100% vaccination for all NRL players and staff. All are back on December 11.
SEA EAGLES: All players are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated and the club will provide and assist in any medical advice.
CANBERRA RAIDERS: All players are able to commence pre-season training adhering to NRL Apollo protocols. We won’t be commentating on player vaccination rates.
NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS: (Player vaccination rates) is not information we will make available. The first players return on November 8, others return on a staggered basis.
Watch ‘Wild Wests: Tales from Tiger Town’ an exclusive Fox League behind-the-scenes production on demand on Kayo > Click here to watch
[ad_2]
Source link