Gold Coast Titans CEO Steve Mitchell is hopeful Queensland teams will not have to relocate to NSW when the NRL resumes from its coronavirus shutdown next month.
The details of the NRL’s biosecurity measures won’t be revealed to clubs until Friday as they work toward beginning training again on May 4 and a competition re-start on May 28.
But Mitchell had his fingers crossed protocols put in place by the NRL would be enough to earn government quarantine exemptions for Queensland’s teams.
The Queensland government may need some convincing after enacting strict movement restrictions during the coronavirus threat in which there is a mandatory 14-day isolation period for anyone allowed entry.
It ensured Queensland’s NRL teams the Titans, Brisbane and North Queensland would be subject to a fortnight in quarantine every time they return to the state, meaning the only way they could play in the NRL would be to remain south of the border.
But Mitchell was still hopeful a NSW move could be avoided.
“As of today clubs outside NSW will need to go and train in NSW for the resumption,” he told AAP.
“But the business case and model we are putting in place in front of both the state governments we are hopeful with all the very strict biosecurity measures and protocols around the playing groups, that there will be exemptions.
“But it may not be the case. But as of today everyone will need to train in NSW.”
However, Mitchell said the Titans were prepared to set up camp in Sydney if that was what was required for the competition to successfully resume next month.
“As much as we would like to train and play at home, if we want to get the competition up and going that is the sacrifice the clubs outside NSW will have to make,” he said of relocation.
“In these circumstances we don’t want to pose a health risk to the greater community. If we need to train and play in NSW then it is what it is.
“It’s for the greater good for the game and the community too, to give them something to cling to, watch and be inspired by.”
The NRL’s Project Apollo innovation committee will finalise and present a list of biosecurity measures for clubs to adhere to on Friday, which will carry strict penalties if broken, including loss of competition points and fines.
The NRL said the health measures will be more stringent than government restrictions to ensure no player or staff is at risk of contracting coronavirus.