The ARL today has announced that the NRL will aim to restart their competition on May 28th, with the ARL also announcing that they intend to play their three State of Origin games as per the yearly tradition.
The NRL and ARL met on Thursday to discuss re-launching the season after it, like literally every other sporting league in the world, was suspended due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Still, Rugby League seems hell-bent on defying the global situation and getting their teams back out on the park.
“There is clear evidence the curve is flattening”, said ARL chairman Peter V’landys in a statement.
“The situation is changing dramatically and we need to get moving. It is in the best interests of our clubs, our players, our stakeholders and importantly our fans that the competition resumes as quickly and as safely as possible.
“The health and safety of our players and the general public remain the absolute priority.”
WATCH: Round 2 of the NRL played in front of empty stadiums
While there is indeed evidence that the curve is flattening around the country, authorities have remained adamant that everything could come undone with any complacency.
After all, thing’s are presumably only flattening as a result of the current restrictions.
The NRL previously appealed to the government for financial help, with the game set to lose millions and players salaries in line to take a hit as a result of the pandemic (like most other workers in the country).
However, ScoMo, himself an avid Cronulla Sharks fan, was adamant that when it came to financial assistance, the NRL was “not high on the list.”
Since being put on ice, the NRL has been eager to re-launch their season to empty stadiums if needed, much to the fury of broadcaster Channel Nine, who reportedly called out NRL head Todd Greenburg had mismanaged the game.
“The Nine Network has largely been left out of planning and discussions for season 2020. The view from Channel 9 right now is that they are seething about this” Channel Nine reporter Danny Weidler told Sky Sports Radio.
The official Nine statement went further, claiming that “Nine has invested hundreds of millions in this game over decades and we now find they have profoundly wasted those funds with very little to fall back on to support the clubs, the players and supporters.
“It would now appear that much of that has been squandered by a bloated head office completely ignoring the needs of the clubs, players and supporters.”
Welp.
Don’t get too excited about Origin 2020 just yet.
