NRL claim absurd – FitzSimons

Former Wallabies rugby forward and outspoken columnist Peter FitzSimons has taken aim at league boss Peter V’Landys for reiterating claims the NRL should have played on through Covid-19.

Speaking on Nine’s Wide World of Sports yesterday, Fitzsimons said there remained major questionmarks over the NRL restarting its 2020 competition as soon as this Thursday.

It will be the first major professional code in New Zealand or Australia to resume after lockdown, and will happen two weeks before AFL (Australian rules football) and New Zealand’s Super Rugby Aotearoa. Fitzsimons said on Nine’s

Sports Sunday: ‘‘The idea that they [NRL] were wrong to shut it down, absolutely absurd.

‘‘At the time, it was stunning that they were able to keep it going for two weeks [in March]. If they’d gone on for three weeks, there would have been an uprising. They had to stop. I hope [it’s] proven right, that it’s a wise decision [to restart].

‘‘I still have my fears that it’s coming back way too early and that what’s happened is, from the moment the Government let them through the traffic lights, everybody else stop, you go through . . . of course everybody else has to go through.’’

When interviewed by the

Sydney Morning Herald,

V’landys was asked about his previous comments that they never should have halted NRL after two rounds. He drew parallels with horse racing, of which he is a senior administrator in New South Wales and has continued to race without crowds.

‘‘Public relations-wise, it would’ve been difficult. People would’ve asked, ‘Why is rugby league still going and we’re not?’ It would’ve been a nightmare, along with the closure of the borders,’’ V’landys told the SMH.

‘‘But racing proved you can do it properly if you follow the correct biosecurity measures. People say players are spitting all over each other. But if they’re all negative, what does it matter?’’

‘‘I still have my fears that it’s coming back way too early.’’

Peter FitzSimons on the NRL