Other NRL games round 2

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This seems so wrong. The crowd adds so much to a game. I wonder if we'll get used to it and then it won't seem weird?
 
North Queensland arrive via private plane
The North Queensland Cowboys have landed in Sydney ahead of their Bulldogs clash, travelling via private plane amid the coronavirus saga.

Adam Mobbs, The Daily Telegraph
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March 19, 2020 6:06pm
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The first private plane carrying an NRL team has touched down to bring in a new era in rugby league.

The North Queensland Cowboys have flown into Sydney less than five hours before their round two hit-and-run mission against the Canterbury Bulldogs on Thursday night.

Under new strict NRL protocols to reduce their exposure to the potentially deadly coronavirus, a condensed group of Cowboys players, coaching staff and officials flew into suburban Bankstown Airport aboard a charter flight from Townsville.



The Cowboys have arrived in Sydney on gameday under new NRL guidelines. Picture: Jonathan Ng
The Cowboys have arrived in Sydney on gameday under new NRL guidelines. Picture: Jonathan Ng
All 16 clubs have been instructed by the NRL to slash the number of key personnel and staff who can attend this weekend’s matches from several hundred to just 56.

Teams will now fly into cities on the day of games, rather than in the lead-up, avoiding airport terminals and hotel stays to isolate themselves from the general public.

With the New Zealand Warriors now unable to base themselves at home in Auckland due to isolation restrictions both here and across the ditch, the Cowboys have the most arduous travel demands in the NRL with their base some 2000km from Sydney.

The Cowboys skipped Sydney Airport and flew straight to Bankstown. Picture: Jonathan Ng
The Cowboys skipped Sydney Airport and flew straight to Bankstown. Picture: Jonathan Ng
The Cowboys landed right in the heart of Bulldogs territory at Bankstown Airport midafternoon where a bus was waiting to whisk the players 15km up the Hume Highway straight to ANZ Stadium for the Canterbury clash.

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It will be the first NRL game to be played behind closed doors after fans were banned to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

It will be a bizarre feeling for the players when they run out to silence at the 83,500-seat Olympics venue.

But it’s something they will have to get used to, with the possibility the entire NRL season could be played without any fans in the stands.

The Cowboys immediatley boarded a bus after getting off the plane. Picture: Jonathan Ng
The Cowboys immediatley boarded a bus after getting off the plane. Picture: Jonathan Ng
Cowboys coach Paul Green believes the NRL’s stadium lockout will benefit the Cowboys as it will ease the strain of hometown crowds influencing referees.

Following the game, Green’s men will board the same plane for a late-night flight back home to North Queensland where they will begin preparing for what hopefully will be a round-three match against the Parramatta Eels at their new Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Saturday week.
 
No finger food, no carpooling, alcohol wipes for equipment and a skeleton staff – this is how Penrith and St George Illawarra are managing coronavirus concerns for their round 2 clash.

Dean Ritchie, The Daily Telegraph
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March 19, 2020 4:44pm
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Penrith has scrapped finger food, lollies and rice crackers from their dressing room with all players also banned from carpooling to Friday night’s match against St George Illawarra at Kogarah.

And The Daily Telegraph can reveal Penrith will use around 100 to 150 single-use hand and face towels, wiping a player just once before being discarded.

The Panthers have ditched all communal finger food — including lollies and rice crackers — from their dressing sheds for fear players will eat the food and then place their fingers back into the bowls and packets.

It comes after Panthers group CEO Bran Fletcher spoke with the club’s playing group inside the Panthers Academy theatrette on Wednesday, focusing on personal hygiene while at training and at home.

The Penrith players are under strict instructions. Photo: Brett Costello
The Daily Telegraph can also reveal:

* All players have been told to drive individually to Jubilee Stadium to avoid unnecessary contact with teammates;

* Towels used on massage tables will also be used once and then thrown out;

* Players have regularly had their temperatures taken this week with anyone above 37.5 degrees considered concerning;


* Massage tables will be wiped down with alcohol after each use;

* Penrith will take just 19 players and 12 staff members, including the coaching team, to Kogarah; and

* Panthers players could use The Mercure Hotel, which adjoins the Leagues Club, to self-isolate if needed.

“We asked the players to own what they can control, even the simple things. If someone puts out a packet of rice crackers out or the big bowls of lollies in the change rooms, players can put their fingers in their mouth and then double dip,” Panthers medical and rehabilitation coordinator Craig Catterick said.

“We have taken it out of the equation. We will now give out individual packs – pretzels, muesli bars, all individually wrapped. We are trying to take out all the communal contact.

“Trainers also run out onto the field and we have towels hanging off our belts. A towel normally goes around but this is about being vigilant.

“Now it will be one wipe and the towel will be thrown away, or maybe one towel per player. It could take hundreds of towels – or you don’t take a towel out there at all. It’s a logistical nightmare for every club in the league now.

“Like every club, we are very vigilant on water bottles. They can’t go anywhere near a mouth anymore.”

At the meeting, Catterick even asked players to count to 20 – reminding them of the time frame needed to thoroughly wash their hands.

“It was to give them a concept of how long 20 seconds was – and that’s how long it takes to wash your hands to combat this particular virus,” he said.

Penrith has dozens of sanitisers located around the Panthers Academy. Club officials have, for now, elected against asking players to wear face masks.

“We stressed the isolation to the players,” said Fletcher. “They understood how we could not risk this game being played. The players have been told that when they finish their game on Friday night they have to go straight home.”

Kick off is at 6pm.
 
Valentine Holmes is a good winger, but to me he is like Craig Hancock when playing fullback. Does OK filling in, but he's still an out of position winger.

He won't play fullback for Qld while Ponga is playing and won't wear the #1 for the Kangaroos while Tedesco and Turbo are available.
 
Team P W L PD Pts
3 3 0 48 6
4 3 1 28 6
3 2 1 10 6
4 2 2 39 4
3 2 1 28 4
3 2 1 15 4
3 2 1 14 4
2 1 1 13 4
2 1 1 6 4
3 2 1 -3 4
3 1 2 0 2
3 1 2 -5 2
3 1 2 -15 2
3 1 2 -22 2
3 1 2 -36 2
2 0 2 -56 2
3 0 3 -64 0
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