Unwell Roache stays home
The Warriors touched down in Australia minus two players after hooker Nathaniel Roache became the first footballer to fall foul of the NRL’s strict bio-security protocols, while David Fusitu’a opted out of the trip for personal reasons. Roache was bumped from the club’s chartered flight to Tamworth in north-west NSW after he reported feeling ill on Sunday.
He and outside back Fusitu’a were conspicuous absentees when the new NRL nomads arrived at their quarantine base at Tamworth late yesterday afternoon for a stay of up to six months in Australia.
Fusitu’a requested a one-week delay to his departure from New Zealand for personal reasons while Roache woke suffering from coldlike symptoms and could not be cleared to fly under the team’s
COVID-19 protocols.
‘‘Nate called the club first thing this morning saying he wasn’t feeling well,’’ Warriors chief executive Cameron George said.
‘‘He was instructed to have a test immediately and was told not to report at the airport as he would not be travelling with the team.
‘‘We’re totally satisfied Nate has had no contact with any other player or staff member at the club for several weeks, and we’re very comfortable we have abided by all policies and requirements.’’
■ Melbourne Storm are in danger of being left in no-man’s land, with the NSW government refusing to sign off on their Albury NRL training base due to biosecurity concerns.
The Storm’s request to resume training at AAMI Park was yesterday knocked on the head by the Victorian government, which rejected the club’s application for an exemption from state of emergency restrictions which are in place until at least May 11.
Negotiations are ongoing to use Albury in NSW as their midweek training base but it is believed that the location of their gym, away from the proposed training ground, is a stumbling block due to the strict biosecurity measures the NRL agreed to to get the competition back up and running by May 28.
Melbourne were denied their first choice of relocation bases, Mulwala, with plans to stay at the YarrawongaMulwala Golf Resort in NSW.
But the club is ‘‘confident’’ the Albury situation will soon be resolved, allowing training to begin in the border town from tomorrow.