Abdo: MCG Origin opener still on despite COVID return

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo is confident the June 9 State of Origin series opener at the MCG will go ahead but contingency plans are being drawn up in case the match needs to be moved due to the latest COVID-19 outbreak in Victoria.

Abdo also told a press conference to launch the NRL’s Indigenous Round on Tuesday that he believed Origin would not be marred by a spate of sin bins or send-offs because of the game’s crackdown on high contact.

The Victorian Government has re-introduced some COVID-19 restrictions after five cases were confirmed in the past 24 hours and Abdo said the NRL was monitoring developments heading into Origin I.

"Clearly, State of Origin is coming up pretty soon and we need to think about what happens with Victorian State Government protocols but also with exemptions required for travel so we are monitoring it but at this stage we aren’t taking any further action," Abdo said.

"It’s early days. At this stage, we are monitoring the situation very carefully but if we have to increase the protocols [for players] we will and if we need to consider a contingency plan for where we play Origin I, we will.

"We are looking at several venues for that but we would have to see a significant increase in the number of community cases and the potential for lockdown in Victoria before we would consider that."

If Origin I did need to be moved, Abdo said it was unlikely that NSW or Queensland would host two matches.

“It wouldn’t be uncommon for us to consider another neutral state," he said. “We have contingency plans and we said at the start of the year that we would be ready for whatever situation emerges."

With the Melbourne Storm having been based on the Sunshine Coast for the past two weeks the NRL does not believe that there is any need for players to return to stricter biosecurity protocols.

Abdo also backed the ARLC Commission and chairman Peter V’landys over their decision to ask match officials to strictly enforce the rules around any contact to the head, which have seen 51 charges laid by the match review committee in the past two weeks.

However, he was confident that players would adapt their tackling styles and Origin would not be severely affected.

"At State of Origin where the game is played at incredible speeds with incredible intensity and I don’t see it being any different to some of the games that we saw last weekend," Abdo said.

"You have to stay away from dangerous contact with the head.

"I think what has become very clear is that if there is forceful contact with the head there are certain consequences in what you see between no action; a penalty; a penalty and report; a penalty, report and sin bin; and ultimately a send-off.

"I think most importantly what we will see and what we are seeing already is the players and the clubs adapting and learning.

"The coaches and the teams that adapt quicker to this are going to have a definite advantage. What we know about our sport is that it is incredibly competitive and therefore we will see people adjusting pretty quickly."

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