ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys claims players will be at less risk of contracting the coronavirus while playing NRL than if they are sidelined.
Plans for the May 28 competition return remain on track, with V’landys stating things looked “exceptionally well” for the league given the drop in new cases.
The game’s new biosecurity measures were presented to the commission on Tuesday, ahead of consultation with the clubs and players.
Several biosecurity measures have already been flagged, including blood testing players, temperature checks and the logging of family members’ movements.
The league did not detail its measures but V’landys insisted they would become the “benchmark” for all sports aiming to return amid the coronavirus crisis.
“They are very comprehensive and I reckon will be the benchmark for other sports,” V’landys told AAP.
“It’s been compiled using all different experts.
“Troy Grant and Wayne Pearce have done a fantastic job and I think anyone who sees them will realise the risk is minimal.
“There will be minimal risk to the players and the community.
“And they would probably be at more of a risk if they didn’t play than if they did play.”
Stand-in chief executive Andrew Abdo will remain part of those meetings, as the game pressed on without departed CEO Todd Greenberg.
Health measures will be front and centre of a Project Apollo meeting on Wednesday, before they are eventually taken to government.
The competition’s eventual structure won’t be a focus though, as broadcaster talks remain ongoing about their preferences.
Complicating the matter is that those discussions involve three parties in Foxtel, Nine and the NRL, and are believed to centre around the value of the game and simulcast rights.
V’landys is hoping those talks will be finalised this week, with the Warriors also waiting on the outcome before attempting to fly to Australia from New Zealand.
“We’re trying our best to finalise all the broadcast things this week and that’s optimistic,” V’landys said.
“We’re progressing but they are complicated negotiations.
“That’s why we needed the seven weeks to get here.
“But they are certainly progressing. There are meetings every day.
“It’s not an easy progress but we will get there.”
Several clubs are waiting on an outcome from those discussions before mapping out their own plans.
North Queensland, Brisbane and Gold Coast are all likely to have to set up camp in NSW.
It remains unclear whether Melbourne will too depending on Victorian government restrictions.
The NRL will continue talks with the Warriors this week, who are still waiting on a government exemption to enter Australia.
But V’landys insisted everything was well on track to resume the competition late next month.
“Everything is progressing exceptionally well for the 28th of May,” he said.
“Again today the infection rate was only six people in NSW, it’s less than 0.2 per cent.
“It was 23.5 per cent when we stopped.
“Everything is going towards our plan.
“We always said we were going to rely on the data when we started and if there was a spike we would reassess.
“But there hasn’t been.”