NRL players are "walking on eggshells" as the Queensland Government becomes increasingly concerned with continued breaches spilling out from the league's hubs.
The NRL was put on high alert late last week after Queensland's chief health officer Jeanette Young said she was "very close" to ending the hub agreement.
It followed allegations surrounding NSW player Api Koroisau sneaking a woman into his Brisbane hotel, and Jai Arrow Arrow's bubble breach, which have now been compounded by footage of families at the Gold Coast hub passing items between balconies, in defiant breaches of COVID-19 protocols.
The whole situation has pushed the Queensland Government dangerously close to breaking point and according to Sydney Morning Herald columnist Andrew Webster, players should be on high alert.
"I don't think the NRL or NRL players should be trying their luck with the Queensland Government given the situation at the moment," Webster told Nine's 100% Footy.
"I don't think there is an appetite for another breach. What that means for the NRL, I don't think coming back to NSW is an option in a hurry. I don't think they'll come back at all after there were 51 community cases announced by the state government this morning.
"Walking on eggshells was how it was described to me by the NRL this afternoon. So, I don't think they should be taking it as some sort of false claim from the Queensland Government that they will kick them out. Don't give them a reason to.
"I think there's a really lazy assumption that Queensland and Brisbane, it's a rugby league area, that they will never kick them out. I just think that's ridiculous to think that way.
"The Queensland Government are copping as much pressure from voters from certain groups as the NSW Government is copping here. So, just because they're such a strong rugby league state, doesn't mean that they're going to cop anything."
NRL great Paul Gallen urged players to lay low for the next few days until their isolation periods were over.
"Don't test them," he said.
"I've got to say, the players up there are in a much better position than we are down here. Their bubble ends next week. They can live life pretty normal up there. They can do a whole lot more things that we can't do. They're in a really good position. Just don't press it for the next four or five days boys."
NRL guru Phil Gould added: "There's a lot of people in the world doing it a lot tougher, so harden up and get the job done."
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from WWOS https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/queensland-hub-covid-coronavirus-government-players-on-eggshells/afeb4b6a-0a20-411d-aea3-354861d4ed7f
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