Photo Credit / NRL.com
The NRL is back with a triple-header of games Sunday, followed by a double-header on Monday, after Queensland was thrown into a snap lockdown Saturday afternoon forcing league officials to postpone Saturday's games.
The competition will resume at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane with the first game in Sunday's triple-header of rescheduled games pitching the Newcastle Knights against the Canberra Raiders (3.50pm, NZ time) in a top-eight battle, followed by the Melbourne Storm and Penrith Panthers (6.05pm) in a rematch of their 2020 grand final, and wrapping up with the St George Illawarra Dragons and South Sydney Rabbitohs (8.25pm).
In Monday's double-header, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the Gold Coast Titans (8.00pm, NZ time) will meet in the first of the night's games and the Manly Sea Eagles and Cronulla Sharks (10.05pm) will round out the night.
An exemption to the ban on playing sport during the lockdown, which will run through until at least Tuesday, was granted by the Queensland Government but under strict conditions.
All five games must be played in an empty stadium at one venue and stringent protocols are to be followed by players and officials, including daily testing of players.
"Clubs have been advised that players or officials who make a substantive breach to protocols face being immediately removed from the competition, including being removed from the State for non-Queensland based Clubs," the NRL said in a statement.
Australian Rugby League commission chairperson Peter V’landys has expressed his gratitude to the Queensland Government.
“I want to personally thank Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, State Government officials, and in particular, Dr Jeannette Young for allowing us to present the most stringent biosecurity protocols which when implemented will ensure there is minimal to no risk in allowing our matches to be played with no crowds.’’