Melbourne could be set to lose the hosting rights for Origin 1 after their latest COVID-19 outbreak.

There are currently 23 active cases in Melbourne and there is a strong chance that number will grow in coming days putting all future events in the city under a could of doubt.

What is Melbourne's loss may be Canberra's gain however, with the nation's capital looming as the likely replacement.

The Daily Telegraph are reporting that there would need to be a total lockdown in Melbourne for the game to be moved, and while Canberra is a lead candidate to step in, the NRL are also looking at Adelaide and Perth.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 06: Valentine Holmes of the Maroons runs with the ball to score a try during game one of the State Of Origin series between the Queensland Maroons and the New South Wales Blues at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on June 6, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

Melbourne's current restrictions haven't had any affect on their sporting events as of yet with AFL games going ahead with crowds this weekend.

There are set to be further announcements regarding crowd sizes later on Wednesday afternoon.

The MCG was named as an exposure site late on Tuesday night after a fan tested positive. The fan attended a game on Sunday afternoon which has sent the AFL and Victorian government scrambling for details to help alert other patrons.

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo is confident the June 9 State of Origin series opener at the MCG will go ahead.

"Clearly, State of Origin is coming up pretty soon and we need to think about what happens with Victorian State Government protocols but also with exemptions required for travel so we are monitoring it but at this stage we arenโ€™t taking any further action," Abdo said.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 06: James Tedesco of the Blues is tackled by Will Chambers of the Maroons during game one of the State Of Origin series between the Queensland Maroons and the New South Wales Blues at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on June 6, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

"Itโ€™s early days. At this stage, we are monitoring the situation very carefully but if we have to increase the protocols [for players] we will and if we need to consider a contingency plan for where we play Origin I, we will.

"We are looking at several venues for that but we would have to see a significant increase in the number of community cases and the potential for lockdown in Victoria before we would consider that."

Abdo said despite the possibility of the game being moved it was unlikely that Queensland or New South Wales would be given a second game at Suncorp Stadium or ANZ Stadium.

โ€œIt wouldnโ€™t be uncommon for us to consider another neutral state," he said. โ€œWe have contingency plans and we said at the start of the year that we would be ready for whatever situation emerges," he added.