Covid rocks Broncos

Four players shut out of training

THE Brisbane Broncos’ return to pre-season training has hit a hurdle with at least four players contracting Covid as the NRL ramped up restrictions ahead of a turbulent 2022 premiership.

After nearly two years of shutdowns, bubbles and uncertainty, Covid is still wreaking havoc on sport around the world and the NRL is bracing for a rollercoaster season.

A number of players will be missing when NRL clubs resume pre-season training on Thursday as Australia’s Covid crisis continues.

After navigating two seasons without a single Covid infection in the competition, the NRL has been working feverishly over the New Year break to settle on protocols to help manage the countrywide outbreak.

The Broncos would not reveal which players had contracted Covid, but they will be absent when the squad hits the paddock at Red Hill on Thursday for the first session of 2022.

Football chief Ben Ikin confirmed the Broncos were managing multiple cases but none were seriously ill.

“We’ve had four players test positive for Covid, with all being asymptomatic,” he said.

“They are presently obeying Queensland government protocols and will be absent from training when we return on Thursday.

“Once cleared they will return to the club under the NRL’s Graduated Return to Play guidelines.”

The Broncos’ Covid concerns are an early test of what’s to come in what promises to be another disrupted NRL season.

The NRL is overhauling various rules and restrictions to ensure the competition can continue while Covid-positive players are banned from training and playing, potentially within hours of games.

Players and some club staff will be subjected to daily rapid Covid testing when they arrive at training and will be tested on game day, opening the door for late withdrawals that could wreak havoc on teams and match-ups.

While the NRL has not introduced a formal “bubble”, players have been banned from attending indoor venues.