Warriors still in holding pattern

The Warriors still need answers to some questions before they fly to Australia to take part in a rejigged NRL competition.

It was announced on Monday that Australian border security authorities had given the green light for the Warriors to relocate to the other side of the Tasman from as early as Sunday.

It’s one hurdle that the club and the NRL needed to overcome for the competition to resume, but it’s not the last.

George told Stuff yesterday that this doesn’t mean the players and staff can begin packing their bags just yet.

‘‘There are still a number of matters we’ve got to work through, which hopefully over the next 24 hours we can,’’ George said.

‘‘They clearly come off the back of all of the broadcasting discussions.

‘‘Whilst it’s been reported that we’ve been given exemption into Australia, we very much respect that decision and understand the opportunity it provides us. But we still require the NSW state government approval and there are a number of other factors that the NRL need to come back to us on, which I expect they will very soon.’’

One of the Warriors’ big issues is whether the the players and staff will have to be quarantined for 14 days once they get to Australia, or if they can start training inside their own bubble, in Tamworth, rural NSW.

If the Warriors have to be quarantined for two weeks, it would push back restarting the NRL to at least June 11, as the players would then need time to train.

‘‘There are all sorts of things still in the air that we need to add clarity on,’’ George said.

‘‘The NRL know that, we know that and we’re sitting in a bit of a holding pattern because of the discussions that are going on with third parties, like broadcasters and the like, which will determine a number of other things that we want to understand.’’

Tamworth is around a five-hour drive away from Sydney. The Warriors will be able to prepare there inside their own bubble, but once games get under way, the team will relocate again.

‘‘The quarantine facility that we’re looking to land into is only for the quarantine period, we’ll be back closer to Sydney throughout the course of the season,’’ George said.

George said they would be looking to move the entire playing squad and backroom staff over for however long they’ll be stuck over there.

When the Warriors found themselves stranded in Australia for a week, before the NRL season was suspended, the team was short of players.

The NRL granted the Warriors an exemption to pick up players from other NRL clubs on short term loans, but as they found out when they tried to bring in 18-year-old fullback Tesi Niu from the Broncos, rivals are unwilling to give the Warriors too much of a helping hand.

So when the Warriors do go to Australia, they want to have as much depth in their squad as the other 15 NRL teams have.

‘‘Our intention is to take everybody over,’’ George said. ‘‘All staff and players who are available, but not the injured players. We’ve been asked to relocate the club, so we’re not going to take any short cuts and jeopardise our preparation, just because we have to relocate.

‘‘The NRL appreciate the fact that we’ve asked to take that many to prepare properly and perform properly.’’