Warriors set to rejoin big dance
Travel plans to be confirmed but NRL restart draws nearer
‘‘We’re down to 100 in the liftoff countdown for Project Apollo. We’ll be at 50 tomorrow.’’
Peter V’landys
ARL Commission chairman
The NRL has taken a quantum leap towards resumption with Queensland teams allowed to train in their home state and the Warriors committed to travelling to Australia.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed late yesterday that borders would be open for the state’s three NRL teams to play in NSW.
In effect, it means North Queensland, Brisbane and the Gold Coast will not need to enter isolation camps in Sydney and can remain at home with their families.
In a telephone hookup with ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys, Palaszczuk also indicated she was interested in games returning to the state.
‘‘I said I was as keen as anyone else to see the NRL return and I meant it,’’ Palaszczuk said.
‘‘The only condition was that it did not put our excellent work containing the spread of Covid-19 at risk and the chief health officer advises that the NRL plan is workable.’’
The vote of confidence came on a busy day for V’landys.
He also spoke with senior Warriors yesterday morning, amid fears of a league-wide player revolt as they unified in a quest to address concerns about relocating.
The meeting cleared up several questions nagging the Warriors and the squad is preparing to cross the Tasman and set up a base in Tamworth.
As of yesterday afternoon Australian Border Force authorities had yet to give the green light for the Warriors to arrive while the NSW state government had not confirmed they can train while quarantined in Tamworth.
But league officials still remain confident those exemptions will be secured in time for the Warriors to be in the country by next week.
‘‘The Warriors will be on the plane,’’ V’landys told AAP.
‘‘I clarified all those matters. I’ll have it in writing to them once I get all the border security and state government approvals.
‘‘The Warriors just wanted clarity on a few things and now they have got that they are fully supportive.’’
Warriors players will receive the same pay as the rest of the NRL, with all players to receive 80 per cent of their original annual salary.
Talks with broadcasters remain ongoing to determine exactly how much money will flow into the game this season.
Families of Warriors players will remain in New Zealand for now, although the league is hopeful border restrictions will eventually ease.
The NRL’s other interstate club, Melbourne, are preparing to return to training in Albury, with practice sessions still banned in Victoria.
‘‘We’re down to 100 in the liftoff countdown for Project Apollo,’’ V’landys said. ‘‘We’ll be at 50 tomorrow.’’
Players across all clubs will return to their bases on Monday for a briefing on biosecurity laws, however they have yet to commit to a return to training.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said yesterday his national cabinet won’t stand in the way of the NRL resuming on May 28 but insisted the Warriors have not yet been cleared to enter Australia.
‘‘In relation to the border issues with New Zealand, that authority has not been provided,’’ Morrison said.
The Sydney Morning Herald has contacted Border Force to clarify when the matter will be resolved, as
the Warriors have been given private assurances they will be cleared to fly this weekend.
Sources have confirmed the Warriors agreed to get on the flight to Australia and take part in Monday’s biosecurity ‘‘education day’’.
But the players have given no guarantee they will then train on Tuesday. That guarantee will only come once the finer details of the pay agreement have been finalised.
Meanwhile, Warriors players’ families will remain in New Zealand for now, although the league is hopeful border restrictions will ease to allow them to join the players.
Stuff understands some Warriors players were disappointed that they weren’t able to travel to Australia with their families.
When the players’ partners travel to Australia at a later date they will have to spend 14 days in isolation.
During this time, the Warriors players won’t be able to visit their families and for some with young children, it won’t be easy for their partners to cope with being quarantined.
The Warriors Australian base will be in the city of Tamworth which has a population of around 43,000 and is located almost halfway between Brisbane and Sydney.
The city is known as the ‘First Town of Lights’, having been the first place in Australia to use electric street lighting, in 1888.
It is considered the ‘Country Music Capital of Australia’, hosting the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival in January – the second-biggest country music festival in the world.