The NRL has promised its fans they will play on in 2020 and have no plans of shutting the season down unless told otherwise by the Australian government.
The NRL stands and as one of very few contact sports to still be running right across the world. The AFL last night decided to postpone their season for at least 60 days after some states began to close their borders.
The Daily Telegraph have reported that Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'landys says there is no plans to move all teams into a lockdown in a regional area so they could all complete their scheduled games.
There was word that the NRL had planned on relocating all clubs to the small Queensland town of Calliope, near Gladstone. The area can house more then 500 players and officials.
V'landys says he was certain he wasn't risking player health and safety and was acting on the best advice from experts and in the best interest of rugby league.
The Australian government has drafted legislation to prevent any and all non essential travel between states, it's believed to have left enough of leniency for state premiers to allow sports to continue.
"We have said from the outset that we will listen to the government and to the health authorities and our experts" V'landys told The Daily Telegraph.
"If they tell us to stop we will stop. But at this stage they haven't so we will continue."
V'landys holds the belief the NRL was in a better position than the AFL to push forward because it had already implemented chartered flights to help teams get from game to game without the need for overnight stays interstate.
Plenty of people are questioning the decision of the NRL to continue on in the current climate, especially with Australia basically in lockdown barring essential services.
However V'landys was staunch in his defence of the commissions decision and said he has received strong support from some of rugby leagues head figures including Wayne Bennett, "I am with Peter V'landys, absolutely.
"We are taking advice. it is not a decision they are making by themselves. They are much closer to all the action than their critics are so let's keep going if it's possible."
Former Sydney Roosters captain Braith Anasta and former Queensland and Australian half-back Cooper Cronk along with South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly all backed the NRL to make the right decision.
"Our leadership has been stoic and brilliant from day one," Anasta told Fox Sports.
"I respect our leadership and I am comfortable with them making this decision... it is just whether they can withstand the pressure and whether they can go and keep everyone healthy.
"Hopefully we can but it's a big question mark now. It is going to be tough."
Cronk said the games leaders were in the best position to make this decision, "We don't have the ability to avoid what is going on.
"We are not in at secret level meetings. But I think we as a rugby league community, we get behind the people of our country and the leaders to set the example and the agenda of what we do.
"Todd Greenberg and Peter V'landys are getting the executives to meet tonight. Whatever they come down with, whatever their recommendation is, I am behind."
Well the NRL probably has 2 options. Keep playing and hope for the best or stop and cease to exist.
There’s a few commentator muppets desperate to draw attention to themselves on this matter but the reality is they haven’t stopped kids from going to school yet. That’s 3.65 million kids. Don’t think you can blame the NRL for not just laying down and dying.