NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro is expecting to receive the NRL’s pitch to resume its season when he meets with league officials next week.

The NRL will hold discussions with its broadcast partners on Thursday to determine what a restructured competition will look like and how much Nine Network and Fox Sports will pay for it.

Two rounds have already been lost since league central was forced to suspend the NRL season due to the coronavirus pandemic on March 23.

A return date has been targeted for May 28.

However, there are a number of logistical hurdles for the NRL to overcome, including international and interstate travel restrictions.

That leaves a cloud of uncertainty around where the Warriors, North Queensland, Brisbane and Gold Coast should be based if the seasons resumes.

“The NRL have every right to pitch to government in relation to what the return of the NRL could be,” Barilaro said on Thursday morning.

“Does it include the Warriors, the Queensland sides? We don’t know.

“I haven’t had the opportunity to sit down with (ARL Commission chairman) Peter V’landys, (NRL chief executive) Todd Greenberg, (commissioner) Wayne Pearce.”

Once discussions with the broadcasters are finalised, the NRL’s innovations committee will be tasked with quickly locking in a revamped schedule.

The committee, dubbed the “Project Apollo” team, is due to gather on Friday but that could be pushed back until next week.

The altered draw, together with how the league intends to stay within evolving health guidelines, will then be tabled to the state government.

“Next week they’ll pitch to me their processes, protocols, their measures in relation to how they protect the community and those players,” Barilaro said.

“What that looks like, I don’t know.

“But I give credit to the NRL for being ambitious enough to pick a date and try to find a journey – but they’re flexible to see how that results.”

Barilaro dismissed the potential of interstate teams being quarantined in regional cities as speculation.

“We don’t know where these teams will be located,” he said.

“Let’s wait to see what the NRL pitches and what they’ll come to government with – they’ll need to get the sign-off from the medical experts.

“Our job is to protect the community, but our job is also to assist all industries.

“I’ll work with any organisation, sporting or industry, to help them through the complexity around the guidelines to see if something can open or close.”