The Canterbury Bulldogs have sent a stern warning to recruit John Asiata regarding his vaccination status for the coronavirus global pandemic.
Asiata recently spoke out regarding his decision to not get vaccinated against the illness, and said he would prefer to work in construction than get the jab and continue his NRL career.
Asiata, who played for the Brisbane Broncos in 2020 before joining the Bulldogs, isn't alone in his views. Melbourne Storm star prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona has also spoken out against the vaccine before shutting down his Instagram account this week.
The NRL have publically declared that around 95 per cent of players are vaccinated, with only a handful of clubs facing holdouts.
Under a new Rugby League Players Association proposal submitted last week, clubs would be able to give their players notice to get vaccinated, then dock pay until a termination of contract could be made eight weeks later.
The Bulldogs are now the first club to seemingly publically support this proposal, although it had been reported numerous clubs privately were already in support.
CEO Aaron Warburton told The Sydney Morning Herald that the club wouldn't hold Asiata if he can't play games due to travel restrictions.
At this stage, Asiata can't train with the side until December 15 when the New South Wales state government will reduce a raft of restrictions on unvaccinated individuals.
Similar policies in Queensland and Victoria currently have no end date.
“We won’t have someone in our squad that can’t fulfil their contractual obligations,” Warburton told the Herald.
”And if they can’t fulfil that, then they won’t be there next year.”
The report suggests the Bulldogs and Asiata have a private deadline for when the forward will need to make his decision by.
While the Bulldogs are dealing with Asiata's situation, and the Storm Nelson Asofa-Solomona, it's understood the Raiders and Cowboys are in the worst spot across the competition, with multiple players still holding out.
The Broncos and Knights are the only two clubs who have already achieved 100 per cent double dose coverage across their playing group.
to the author of this article South Sydney have come out and said that they are also 100% double vax’ed