The NRL is about to learn the true ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic with clubs set to blanket test every player in the competition for COVID-19.
In a move that could bring the competition to a grinding halt, the Herald can reveal clubs will be issued with test kits in coming days.
The move follows a meeting between NRL bosses Peter V'landys and Todd Greenberg and NSW health minister Brad Hazzard earlier this week.
The minister's advice was that the NRL should source an independent pathologist so test results can be returned faster than the normal waiting time of the general public. The NRL is paying for its own testing.
Its reasoning for the expedited test results is that it would rather shut down one team before it plays another, thereby limiting the possibility of infection.
No player has tested positive to COVID-19 so far, although it remains unclear just how many players have been tested.
V'landys has already said one positive test would not necessarily shut down the entire competition, with room in the schedule to play games midweek if necessary.
He has already made it clear that stopping the season would be "catastrophic" because the NRL only has enough cash reserves to operate for another three months.
It has so far resisted calls to stop playing at the elite level, with players isolating from the rest of the community and charter flights booked to fly teams in and out of cities where they are playing.
Round two will start tonight when the Bulldogs host the Cowboys in front a crowd-less ANZ Stadium.
Some clubs are already feeling the financial strain. Penrith have ordered all staff not essential to the running of the NRL team to take annual or long service leave.
Other clubs have told the Herald they are poised to make similar calls after all major NSWRL competitions were cancelled until May 31.
"They were accepting of it and took it very well," Panthers chief executive Brian Fletcher said. "They understand the situation we all face. We would rather make staff not essential the NRL take annual leave and long service leave now instead of sitting around doing nothing, which would make us stand people down."
The ARL Commission is currently meeting at League Central in Sydney to work out its plan of attack as the coronavirus crisis deepens.
Replies
They're testing blankets? Weird.
I thought people were being turned away from testing centres because there weren't enough kits?
Well viruses can stay dormant on virtually any surface indefinitely
Yes, Brett, but "dormant" and "indefinitely" misrepresents a virus on a surface.
First, a virus is not alive: it's just a piece of genetic code surrounded by some layers of protein. Dormant technically refers to a stage in an organisms lifecycle and, as just noted, a virus is not alive so it cannot be dormant.
What about indefinite? Saying a virus is dormant suggests it's a live thing waiting to activate, and indefinitely suggests it has unlimited capacity to reactivate. No. A virus is either infectious or detectable on a surface. Most viruses are infectious, outside the human body, for days at best. Most estimate hours, a few days maybe, a week at best, a day or two extra in extreme cases. But detectable? Days to weeks. Detectable just means the genetic material can be run through a PCR machine to detect its code, not that it is infectious.
The Bible doesn't prepare anyone for understanding viruses!
Daz i bet your bottoms had a heck of a lot of viral loads from a lot of different cultures, i admit you probably know what youre talking about on this one.
I perfectly understand what a virus is numbnuts. I have a degree in Applied Science majoring in Microbiology & Biochemistry. I choose not to lord my education over everybody else, unlike youself Daz.
But you're wrong, a viral particle's status is either "dormant" or "active". When not attached to a healthy host cell they are considered to be dormant. And yes, many virus' can stay dormant on surfaces for extended period of times, although those times vary on the type of virus and the conditions of the surface they are on.
Brett, your knowledge of viruses reminds me of your knowledge of the law. Remember that "debate"?
As a teacher, I know full well that people can get a degree and yet not be that great at it. In your case, what you are talking about is latency. And a virus can be latent, meaning dormant in a body. For instance, if you had chicken pox you can later get shingles because the virus remains dormant in your spinal cord. But you were asserting the virus was dormant outside the body. You also switched from the completely erroneous "indefinitely" to the vague "extended period of time".
But whatever, you're rhat kind of guy that speaks utter falsities and when caught out for it, plays some kind of victim. Yawn.
You know what they say Daz, Those that can, do, and those that can't, teach.
I can't think of another person that saying applies to more than you mate.
Brett, you know what they say when someone is schooling you? You diss teaching, green eyes showing. I guess when your authority is the Bible you've got no option but to distrust actual learning?
Daz you couldnt school a bunch of primary school kids lol
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