NRL chairman Peter V'Landys has said that the league will go back to a standard format for the 2021 season.
V'Landys spoke to Andrew Voss on 1170 SENย and stated that the NRL is in a position to return to a pre-COVID season plan.
โWeโre going to go back to normal next season.
โWeโve experienced COVID, we know how to handle COVID, and I donโt think the protocols will be as strict (in 2021).
โAs you said earlier, thereโs now a possibility of a vaccine, and that changes the whole thing completely.
โIf the vaccine doesnโt come through and we have to live through COVID, it all depends on the community infections, and we always base our decisions on the data.
โIn Australia, weโre very lucky that community infections are zero, and while theyโre zero, we can live our lives pretty normally.
โHowever, if there is an outbreak of community transmission, weโll need to increase our protocols again.
โBut weโve been through the worst of COVID in Australia with the protocols, and weโve proven we can play while COVIDโs there, and with community infections.
โI think weโre pretty right for next year, with the learnings of this year. That we can run the whole season and go back to normal."
The chairman also mentioned that if player hub rules exist next year, they most likely would be a lot more relaxed than this seasons.
โThe players are out of the bubble at the moment, theyโve sacrificed a lot this year and theyโre having a well-earned holiday for the next few weeks...
โI donโt think the protocols will be as strict, with community infections being lower than they were throughout this year.โ
