Gold Coast star Bryce Cartwright will be stood down by the NRL on Friday for not signing the flu jab waiver, according to Nine News' Cameron Williams.

The Daily Telegraph reported earlier in the day that the ARL Commission revised a vaccination waiver clause that will allow players to play if they refuse to get the flu shot.

ARLC chairman Peter V’landys warned players who do not sign the waiver would be banned.

Canberra trio Josh Papalii, Sia Soliola and Joseph Tapine reportedly refused to sign for religious reasons, while Cartwright objected to the vaccination.

Manly's Dylan Walker, Marty Taupau and Addin Fonua-Blake also reportedly denied signing the waiver, according to The Daily Telegraph.

It is believed that three per cent of NRL players refused to get the flu shot.

“A clause has been taken out. It used to say they believe by not having it (vaccination) that would put them medically at risk - well they don’t believe that,” V’landys told AAP.

“So we have changed that to say that they have been advised by their medical officer that they are at risk. It should’ve been like that in the first place to be honest.

“So if any player doesn’t execute the waiver they will not be able to play.”

The flu shot formed part of the biosecurity measures to ensure the league's restart on May 28, but V’landys was content with having 97 per cent of players vaccinated.

“We respect the government because they have assisted us all the way through on our target day of May 28,” V’landys said.

“But in the protocols we had approved by government it allowed us to allow players not to vaccinate on cultural and religious reasons.

“And I think we have met the government expectations by having 97 per cent of the players vaccinated.

“If it was 50 per cent we would have a different perspective on it.”

1 COMMENT

  1. Government says they can’t play if they don’t get the flu shot. This is flu not the covid virus. We are getting into some very murky waters now folks

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