[ad_1]
NRL clubs have reportedly sought legal advice over their ability to sack unvaccinated players as a two major issues await teams returning for pre-season training next week.
The Daily Telegraph reported a court battle is a possibility with unvaccinated players set to be locked out of some club’s training sessions depending on the facilities they use.
In Sydney, the Wests Tigers will be able to mix vaccinated and unvaccinated players at training due to their base at St Luke’s Park at Concord being a private field.
Get all the latest NRL news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!
However players from the Bulldogs, Sharks and Dragons will need to have received two doses of the vaccine in order to enter their facilities for pre-season training, as they are housed in stadiums.
Bulldogs star Luke Thompson was against getting vaccinated before reportedly adhering to the club’s mandate that all players be vaccinated by pre-season training.
The Daily Telegraph’s Dave Riccio revealed on SEN radio that clubs like the Bulldogs, who have a hardline stance on vaccination, have explored their legal rights to sack players that are unable to fulfil their training and playing duties with the club.
“We’ve just gone through, and the first clubs return to pre-season training next week,” Riccio said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“Largely how that works is the bottom eight teams, who didn’t play finals, they’re usually the first ones to go back and that is the case.
“What these clubs are finding out first is what they do with their unvaccinated players.
MORE NRL NEWS
ON THE MOVE: 20 NRL stars with most to gain from club switch as deadline looms
OFF-SEASON CENTRAL: Sharks coach’s shock admission over recruit from Dragons
TRANSFER WHISPERS: Panthers star to decide No.9 race, Gutherson’s sticking point
HE’S BACK: Major Knights coup as Andrew Johns returns amid Newcastle unrest
“Certainly, the Bulldogs are in this category … there are categories within all these clubs that one, do we have legal background or advice that would allow us to terminate a player’s contract if it got to that point where simply the player couldn’t train anymore.
“Secondly, is do we provide home training routines for the player because they can’t come to training?
“Under NSW Health orders, if your team or club trains within a stadium precinct, an unvaccinated person, let alone a player, cannot enter that facility.
“That’s going to cause major issues for clubs with unvaccinated players.”
Watch ‘Wild Wests: Tales from Tiger Town’ an exclusive Fox League behind-the-scenes production on demand on Kayo > Click here to watch
The latest developments come as Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys chose to stand by players who do not want to get the jab in a bid to create unity within the game.
V’landys’ comments follow the NRL’s refusal to follow the lead of the AFL and mandate vaccines.
“We want to keep all our rugby league family together,” V’landys told The Daily Telegraph.
“We don’t want them to be split apart. We have to work together to find a solution.
“There is a lot of hysteria that goes on about this issue (but) a vaccinated person can also catch this disease and pass it on, just like an unvaccinated person.”
[ad_2]
Source link