OFF THE BENCH

NRL TACKLES COVID-19 AS SEASON RELAUNCHES -

IT HAS been a long 67 days since round two of the NRL season ended.

But tonight the wait finally comes to an end.

When ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys announced May 28 as the intended return of the competition, scepticism followed.

Now that day is here.

Cowboys football director Peter Parr has addressed the North Queensland playing group about the responsibility they have to help give the community hope that society can thrive through to the end of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Brisbane Broncos and Parramatta Eels will get the first crack tonight, while the Cowboys will get their chance against the Gold Coast Titans tomorrow.

“As difficult as this time is for everybody,” Parr said, “they do have an opportunity to be involved in something that is nearly a world-first, and the opportunity to bring back some form of normality to a lot of people.”

A SENSE of normality has been difficult to come by throughout the coronavirus pandemic. But with the NRL’S imminent return some semblance of that is coming back.

Now it is up to the game’s players to take that responsibility on board.

Cowboys football director Peter Parr has addressed the North Queensland playing group about this.

Everything he has seen from training has suggested the side will come out of rugby league’s hiatus firing.

But in a “season like no other” he said going into their clash against the Gold Coast Titans with preconceived ideas would be futile.

“I’ve said to our players it’s a wonderful opportunity for them to be involved in something that’s world leading at the current time,” Parr said.

“As difficult as this time is for everybody, they do have an opportunity to be involved in something that is nearly a world first and the opportunity to bring back some form of normality to a lot of people.

“They understand their responsibility and hopefully they’ll be excited about that and play really well.”

There is yet to be definitive clarity over when NRL clubs must have their full playing squads finalised.

Typically clubs have until June 30 to have a top 30 contingent of players finalised, however advice is still yet to be handed down as to whether this will remain the case.

As it stands Parr said the Cowboys had 29 spots filled, however they were not looking outside the club to fill that remaining slot.

Complicating matters in terms of final squad numbers is the situation of the New Zealand Warriors.

The club have been granted dispensation to acquire loan players from rivals to cover a host of injuries sustained to their main squad before and since relocating to Australia.

Middle forwards Lesson Ah Mau, Jazz Tevaga, Jackson Frei and Bunty Afoa feature in the casualty ward. Parr said those positions were arguably the toughest place to play in the NRL and the risk in putting young development players into those spots could be hazardous if they were not ready for the rigours of professional football.

While he said the Cowboys would be open to discussions about loaning players, it could not be at the expense of their own season and was not as simple as identifying players off the top.

“It’s a difficult one because while they may not get an opportunity now they may do in the next couple of weeks,” Parr said.

“I think most clubs will utilise a number of players this year – 18 weeks in a row will be difficult for every club.

“We would be willing to look at it but for us it wouldn’t be a player that’s close to playing NRL, you wouldn’t look at anyone currently playing but you have to take into account we have some players here who aren’t selected this week but aren’t far away.”