NRL confirm new format
NRL players could be back in action as early as May. Credit: Terry Donnelly/News Images
The NRL have confirmed the format for the rest of the 2020 season, which will see a 20-round season.
It will see each side play five opposition teams twice, before the finals take place, with the Grand Final on October 25. It also looks like State of Origin will take place in November, which puts The Ashes at risk.
The fixtures will be announced in due course, including a confirmed date for the Origin series. Teams will also keep their points from the first two rounds.
Also announced are strict protocols called Project Apollo, which will be stricter than the guidelines set out by the Australian Government at the moment. Players will face sanctions if they break these protocols.
ARL Commission Chairman Peter V’landys told nrl.com: “Today is a landmark day for rugby league in 2020.
“It’s safer now to play then it was in round two when we were playing. The daily infection rate in NSW was 25.79 per cent when the last game was played.
“It has been now less than one per cent in NSW for the last 18 days and is continuing to drop. There has also been a significant improvement in the recovery rate, being 75-per-cent in NSW and 83-per-cent in Australia.”