Wests Tigers players living in Sydney’s COVID-19 hotspots have been cleared of the virus and will face Brisbane on Friday night.
David Nofoaluma and Josh Aloiai were whisked away from Tigers training on Thursday, with the NRL requesting they be tested for the virus.
Both they – and coaching staff Brett Hodgson and Simon Dwyer – weren’t showing symptoms but live in the Liverpool and Campbelltown areas.
The tests came as the NRL talked out an agreement with the Queensland government to allow players from the hotspots into the state for matches.
In the meantime, players and officials who live in Sydney’s south-west and face Queensland-based teams this weekend were asked to get tested.
Unlike in the AFL, NRL players are not usually required to be tested on a weekly basis.
Had they returned positive samples, it would have likely seen Friday night’s fixture at Leichhardt Oval postponed.
Under a deal reached with the Queensland Government on Friday, all players living in the state will now enter into the same strict biosecurity bubble as NSW players.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had been concerned about Queensland-based players coming into contact with opponents from Sydney’s hotspots.
It prompted the very real possibility of the four Queensland clubs being forced to relocate into NSW hubs, or having to stay in hotel isolation in their home state.