North Queensland Cowboys star forward Jason Taumalolo has opened up on his status, claiming he will be able to play Round 1 of the 2022 season.
It has been widely reported that Taumalolo was one of just a handful of players yet to be vaccinated against the virus which has wreaked havoc this off-season.
Every team in the NRL has had their pre-season disrupted by the global pandemic, with over 80 per cent of players in the competition infected and forced to miss a minimum of seven days training while in isolation.
Prior to Christmas, some teams were forced to shut down their operations for days at a time due to COVID.
The Courier Mail are reporting that Taumalolo contracted COVID during the off-season, but said he wouldn't open up on his medical records and decision, saying they are a private matter.
“The one thing I will say is that I have the green light to play in round one and that’s all that matters,” Taumalolo told News Corp.
“I have a pretty strong opinion that my medical information is for myself only and I like to keep it that way. But I will be playing this season for the Cowboys.
“I’m happy I get to play and I’m glad I’m OK to play in the NRL this year.
“I’ve tested negative quite a few times at training ... eventually we are all bound to get Covid,” he said.
“Covid has been tough on everyone in the game.
“We know how much our fans love rugby league and not being able to have crowds at times and for players, flying in and out on the day of games, our preparation was affected.
“Life outside of football changed. It will always be a challenge but the clubs and the NRL have handled the Covid situation well.”
