'Not a law unto themselves': NRL restart plans savaged by medical officer
ARLC Commission chairman Peter V'Landy's says the NRL has been given official permission to resume next month, without the knowledge of the state's deputy chief medical officer or health minister.
V'landy's says the ARLC has been given written authorisation from NSW authorities for the game to resume on May 28.
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His revelation comes after NSW Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly warned the NRL would need permission before moving ahead with their plans.
“I don’t think they (the NRL) are a law unto themselves,” Kelly said.
“Some of the players and coaches may think so, but they’re part of society and they have a part – as we have all done – to support not only safety for themselves but for all of us.”
V’landys however, was sticking to his guns, claiming the league had recieved state government permission to play on.
"We are allowed to resume under the health order," V'landys told News Corp Australia on Friday.
"We also have authorisation in writing (from NSW authorities).
"He (Kelly) unfortunately is unaware of the health order and our dealings with the relevant authorities."
NSW Health Minister hasn’t heard from NRL
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said earlier on Friday he hadn't heard from the NRL officials since the competition was called off due to COVID-19, nor had he heard about the May 28 return.
While Hazzard said he was open to a conversation about the game resuming in NSW, he insisted he hadn't spoken to the NRL for a month.
"The NRL came to see me about a month, or five weeks, ago. There have been no further discussions," Hazzard said.
"The only meeting I've had that I can tell you about is around about a month ago, with Todd Greenberg and Peter V'landys to talk about the issue.
"But that was before they actually made a decision to shut the game down."
However the NRL has told AAP while they hadn't spoken to Hazzard directly, they had been in almost daily communication with the NSW government.
"The NRL has been in constant contact with Federal and State Governments throughout the COVID-19 pandemic including this week, and will continue to work closely with government in the weeks ahead," an NRL spokesman said.
It's also understood Hazzard's office had asked the NRL to liaise with the premier's and sport minister's offices about the game's return.
NRL continue with league restart plans
The NRL has former NSW deputy premier Troy Grant on their planning panel, and has been generally positive about the government's efforts to limit the spread of the virus.
ARL commissioner Wayne Pearce also claimed on Thursday the state government was happy for players to train and play as long as public health guidelines were adhered too.
Hazzard also admitted there were wellbeing benefits to having sport safely return for people during the health crisis.
Likewise, Kelly encouraged sports to begin planning their paths out of the crisis, and noted the NRL's closed-door plans, with players isolating from society.
But he said they had to remember their social responsibilities in the process, and that one infected person could lead to 400 other cases in a month.
"They're generally very fit young men and women, so they - they themselves are not at high risk," Kelly said.
"For them, it may not be a big problem. There's other people around the teams, (South Sydney coach) Wayne Bennett is in his 70s, he would be in a vulnerable group.
"Whether May is the time (for sports to return) will remain to be seen and definitely they'll need to get some permission to do that."
