Australia

‘No football matches’: Saturday’s NRL fixtures postponed in wake of snap Queensland lockdown


The 2021 NRL season has been thrown into uncertainty after the abrupt decision to postpone Saturday’s matches due to Queensland’s three-day COVID-19 lockdown.

Three round 20 games — the Rabbitohs against the Dragons, the Knights versus the Raiders and the Storm against the Panthers — have been called off.

And, with the state’s increased restrictions in place until 4:00pm on Tuesday at least, Sunday’s two matches — the Bulldogs against the Titans on the Gold Coast and Cronulla against Manly at Redcliffe — are also in doubt.

The snap move came after the Queensland government announced the lockdown at its morning media conference, vowing to “go hard and go early”.

“So no community sport, no professional sport, nothing for the next three days.”

The NRL is scrambling to find a way to go ahead with Sunday’s fixtures.

“The NRL respects the decision of the Queensland Government to keep the community safe and healthy following local transmission of COVID-19 in south-east Queensland.

“All players will remain on Level 4 Biosecurity Protocols and comply with all Queensland Public Health orders to keep the local community safe.”

A small white commercial jet with blue and orange writing flies towards a cloudy sky
The Rabbitohs were forced to fly back to the Gold Coast soon after arriving in Rockhampton.(

AAP: Darren England

)

The news broke as the South Sydney Rabbitohs were flying to Rockhampton to take on the Dragons.

After landing in the central Queensland town, the Rabbitohs players and staff were told to stay on the plane before being sent back to their base on the Gold Coast.

With NSW in the second month of a strict lockdown, Canberra has emerged as a possible venue to host the Souths-St George game on Sunday, if the teams are granted access from ACT authorities.

There were moves to shift the Knights-Raiders clash from Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium to Townsville before the match was also postponed.

Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles at a press conference in Brisbane,
Deputy Premier Steven Miles announced 11 Queensland LGAs would go into lockdown.(

AAP: Darren England 

)

Eleven Local Government Areas (LGAs) in south-east Queensland will be affected by the latest lockdown.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles announced the state’s strictest-ever measures on Saturday morning after six new local cases related to the Delta strain were confirmed.

It comes just a month after the region’s last snap lockdown.

On Thursday, a 17-year-old student from Indooroopilly State High School tested positive for COVID-19, sending 2,500 students and staff into 14 days of quarantine.

The 2021 NRL home-and-away season is due to finish on Sunday, September 5, with round 25 preceding the NRL finals series.

The NRL grand final is scheduled for Sunday, October 3, with the venue yet to be confirmed. 

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