An outbreak of Covid-19 has thrown doubt over the NRL grand final but neither the Panthers nor the Rabbitohs are concerned.
Neither the Penrith Panthers nor South Sydney Rabbitohs are fazed by the possibility the NRL grand final could be postponed, relocated or played in front of empty stands.
Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium is currently set to host the decider on Sunday but an outbreak of Covid-19 in southeast Queensland has thrown the fixture into doubt.
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On Thursday, it was confirmed the game would need to go ahead at 75 per cent capacity but, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has not ruled out scrapping attendance entirely should the case numbers take a turn for the worse.
“Can I just make it very clear – if the advice is to go into lockdown, we will go into lockdown. There’s no ifs and buts here, people. This is serious,” she said on Friday.
Several other contingency plans have been floated, including pushing the decider back a week, or moving it out of southeast Queensland.
On Friday, the Panthers and Rabbitohs said they had become accustomed to rolling with the punches during the league’s two Covid-affected seasons and that any last-minute changes would not be cause for concern.
“It’s been pretty similar to so many other weeks we’ve had,” Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said of the uncertainty around the fixture.
“It’s just been one of those seasons.
“We haven’t really spoken about it at all. Whatever happens, happens.”
Cleary’s red-and-green counterpart, Wayne Bennett, said an 11th-hour postponement would not hinder his players’ performance.
“The players are ready to play; if they’ve got to play tomorrow, next week, the week after, they’ll play,” he said.
“It’s something that we can’t control. There’s no conversation to be had. We’re not talking about it, we’re preparing for Sunday. If something changes, well, it changes.”
Rabbitohs five-eighth Cody Walker said a last-minute cancellation earlier in the season had prepared his side for anything.
The Bunnies were en route to Rockhampton for their round 20 clash with the Dragons when they found out the fixture had been postponed due to a Covid-19 outbreak.
“We showed when we went to Rockhampton, we were on the plane, we were prepped and ready to go and by the time we landed, they’d postponed the game,” he said.
“We just had to adapt. It was no one’s fault, no one had any control over it.”
Walker, this year’s Dally M Five-Eighth of the Year, said his side would take a similar approach this time around.
“Whatever happens, happens,” he said.
Panthers co-captain Nathan Cleary said he would prepare as if his side was playing a second consecutive grand final this weekend.
“I just prepare like it’s going to happen,” Cleary said.
“It’s not really on my mind that we’re not going to play. You can only control what you can control and that’s what we’re focused on.”
“I don’t really mind (whether it’s crowdless or delayed). I’m just keen to play. It’s great to be back in a grand final. They’re pretty hard to make.”
Cleary’s co-captain, Isaah Yeo, said he felt grateful to be playing in the biggest game of the season.
“Fourteen other teams would love to be in the position we’re in,” the barnstorming back-rower said.
“I’m just happy we’re here.”
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