- Nofoaluma and Aloiai tested as they live in hotspot areas
- NRL says it will test a group of 19 players every 72 hours
David Nofoaluma was showing no symptoms and is not thought to have visited any of the venues listed by the NSW government.
Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
The NRL has asked all players who face Queensland teams this week and live in south-west Sydney’s Covid-19 hotspots to be tested immediately.
Wests Tigers players David Nofoaluma and Josh Aloiai were among the first players to be tested when they were taken away from training on Thursday ahead of Friday night’s clash with Brisbane at Leichhardt Oval.
They did not show any symptoms at training and the test results are due back on Thursday afternoon. Tigers assistant coach Brett Hodgson has also been sent for tests, given he also lives in the Campbelltown area.
Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys said the NRL was planning to test a group of players who live in and around Sydney’s hotspot areas every 72 hours, if they are about to play any of Queensland’s four NRL teams.
“We will test the nominated pool of players every three days,” V’landys told the Courier Mail. “It’s an inconvenience to them but that’s all we can do. Only the players in NSW in the hotspots who live around the Casula area will be affected, there’s only 19 of them, so if they are going to play a Queensland team, they will have to be tested.”
Match officials who live in those areas must also be tested if they control games featuring Queensland clubs. Penrith’s clash with North Queensland on Sunday is the only other round 10 game involving teams from NSW and Queensland. The Panthers do not have any players from Campbelltown or Liverpool, but club staff inside their bubble must be tested.
“They’re following protocols and have gone straight for testing … I’m sure those things will happen a lot over a period of time,” Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire said.
“We understand the world we’re living in at the moment and we have to do due diligence to make sure everyone is safe. Once we heard they had to go do that the boys jumped in their cars and did the test.”
Unlike in the AFL, NRL players are not ordinarily required to undergo tests before matches. However, the Queensland government has determined people within the Campbelltown and Liverpool council areas must serve two weeks’ quarantine when they enter the state.
The NRL is still working with the state government on whether exemptions will be given to players, as they were when the border was initially closed. Penrith and Manly are the two teams due to play in Queensland next week and some Sea Eagles players live in Sydney’s south-west.
