Warriors still waiting for clearance to enter Australia

The Warriors have yet to be granted permission to enter Australia, despite reports yesterday saying they had been given the green light to return to New South Wales to resume their 2020 NRL campaign.

The Warriors are expected to quarantine in Tamworth.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed the issue at a press conference yesterday and said the Warriors had not yet been approved to return, putting the NRL season’s scheduled May 28 return into further doubt.

“The National Cabinet has not provided that endorsement,” said Morrison in Canberra.

“The individual jurisdictions will ultimately provide any of the clearances that are necessary on a health basis . . . in relation to the border issues with New Zealand, well, that authority has not been provided.

“No amount of reporting it will change those restrictions.”

The Warriors plan to leave for Australia on a charter flight tomorrow and will need to quarantine for 14 days after arriving in New South Wales, per the strict isolation measures in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

However, plans for the NRL teams

No amount of reporting it will change those restrictions.

Aussie PM Scott Morrison

to return to training on Monday have been delayed, despite the dates being planned as part of the agreed timeline for a season resumption at round three of 20 on Thursday, May 28.

The players agreed to attend an information session at their clubs on Monday which will address, among other things, how biosecurity measures and protocols will look and what isolation measures they will face.

However, although the NRL still has many hurdles to overcome in their quest to restart their season, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has given the competition the all-clear for a May 28 return, with the state opening its borders for the competition.

Queensland government authorities informed ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys of the decision yesterday — although the announcement comes with a condition: If the NRL suffers another breach of coronavirus guidelines, the door will be slammed shut.

“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 [state’s] chief health officer advises that the NRL plan is workable.”

Clubs are now permitted to travel across the Queensland border to play, and local players are allowed to remain with their families in the state.

“First round games will be played in Queensland, and of course I put in a bid for a local grand final, and we all look forward to hosting the State of Origin,” Palaszczuk said. with news.com.au