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.