Health experts and NRL executives will hold a video conference on Monday evening to decide how to deal with two players in ‘COVID-hold’ in isolation from their clubs.
On Monday, Canterbury player Jake Averillo and Parramatta’s Stefano Utoikamanu were isolated from their respective teams as a precaution due to separate incidents.
Coincidentally, the NRL on Monday morning sent out a note to all clubs reminding them of the importance of abiding by the competition’s coronavirus protocols given the developing situation in Victoria and NSW.
The NRL’s head of football Graham Annesley said while there is a chance restrictions could increase on players in biosecurity ‘bubbles’ it is not yet being considered.
“It’s mainly about making sure we don’t get too loose with the existing protocols, that everyone realises this is still a situation that requires contact compliance,” he said.
“If we don’t comply and we get any kind of infection within the NRL individual bubble, that poses a threat to the NRL competition.
“At least games, if not the competition itself.”
Averillo’s standown comes after the Bulldog became entangled in NSW’s Crossroads Hotel COVID-19 cluster, with the player denied access to training and forced to move out of his home.
The 19-year-old lives with his parents who on July 5 attended the hotel in Sydney’s south-west, to which 21 cases of the virus have since been linked.
Averillo has been moved to a hotel where he will quarantine until at least July 19.
He has not played in the NRL since round seven and will be tested for COVID-19 on Monday.
Both of his parents were tested over the weekend and will be re-tested to ensure a clean bill of health for Averillo to return to training.
The youngster’s Bulldogs teammates will not undergo coronavirus testing if Averillo and his parents return a negative result.
It is the third case of enforced isolation for the Bulldogs.
Skipper Aidan Tolman missed two matches due to a teacher at his child’s school contracting the virus, while new recruit Luke Thompson spent a mandatory two-week quarantine period in Melbourne when he arrived from England last month.
Averillo’s situation comes as a Parramatta rookie was prevented from attending Eels training on Monday after he breached NRL biosecurity protocols on Sunday night.
Stefano Utoikamanu made his NRL debut in the win over Newcastle but broke health regulations by embracing family members and friends in the crowd after fulltime.
The 20-year-old remains a part of the Eels’ bubble, but is unable to return to training until the people he made close contact with pass a COVID-19 test.
The club is still waiting on instruction from the NRL on how to proceed, which is likely to come after Monday’s meeting with health experts.