A large portion of NRL clubs have called out for daily COVID testing to be scrapped for the players of the finals series, following fears that a series of positive tests could turn the post-season on its head.
COVID has wreaked havoc for clubs recently, with the Sea Eagles missing three players to the virus on Friday, as well as the likes of Cameron Munster, Jack Wighton and Murray Taulagi missing Origin games after going into isolation.
NRL clubs are calling for the daily testing of players to be scrapped, and only used for those that are displaying cold-like symptoms.
The NRL are still pondering the reintroduction of a bubble heading into the finals, however the Rugby League Players Association is reluctant to introduce one, after players have gone through two years of restrictions.
While was hesitant on a bubble, RLPA boss Clint Newman did back the daily testing, crediting it for the lack of widespread impacts on this season.
“In regards to players going into bubbles, we are 100 per cent supportive of the current common sense approach.
“The NRL’s testing policy has been really effective in limiting the mass breakouts at clubs. That has been shown by not a single game being postponed."
Newton says the players know what's on the line at the pointy end of the season, and are 'naturally cautious' when it comes to protecting themselves from the virus.
“A lot of players stay home more, they don’t put themselves in a position where they could be compromised. We wouldn’t be supportive of wide-ranging mandates and certainly any mandates that were introduced would have to be backed by very strong evidence and data.
"The biggest punishment for any player would be to get Covid-19 and miss finals or a grand final. So they are aware of the risks.”
The NRL are expected to remain firm on their stance and keep current protocols in place, in order to maintain any sudden outbreak come finals time.
This is a microcosm of the attitudes in society.
According to https://www.health.gov.au/health-alerts/covid-19/case-numbers-and-statistics, total deaths from COVID-19 is 10,215 (of whom 8,609 are aged over 70)
Australia’s population is 26,101,000.
So, COVID-19 has resulted in the deaths of only 0.039% of the population.
COVID alarmists in health bureaucracies all round the world have focused on the threat from the disease itself, and have frightened politicians into destroying civil liberties and trashing national economies. Because it was harder to model the effect on society of lock-downs (mental health problems, bankruptcies, excess deaths due to health resources being diverted to COVID, increased obesity, etc) the alarmists ignored that, and kept crying out for more and longer restrictions.
After two years, the public has had gut-full of this. They have seen how little effect COVID has had by comparison to other diseases. They are no longer prepared to let politicians and health bureaucrats intrude into their lives, under the banner of “saving them from COVID”.
Bosses of companies and organisations feel the same. Only health bureaucrats and politicians do not, and that is because that if they admit now how they grossly over-exaggerated the threat and over-reacted to it they will lose face (and lose votes or lose promotions.)
The NRL is caught in a tricky place. Club bosses, like fans, have had enough. I suspect Peter V’landys sympathises with them, but feels compelled to go along with government rather than risk them taking the management of the season’s games out of his hands, and imposing new restrictions to appease the alarmists, however unnecessary will be any such restrictions.