Given all the headlines in the media this week about the players breaking social distancing protocols, I feel for the boys involved. I know them all really well and they are all good fellas.
But the bottom line is what they did is inexcusable in the current climate, particularly with everyone working so hard to get the game back up and running. It's obviously poor timing given everything that's happening around the game at the moment. But to their credit, they have all put their hand up to acknowledge they have done the wrong thing.
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Now they just have to cop their medicine, cop the fine because you can't hide from it. They've been caught out doing the wrong thing, simple as that. They slipped up and they have to pay the price. The fines are reasonable and a warning to every player about the importance of doing the right thing all the time.
There is far too much at stake. All these people from the officials of the NRL to the RLPA - all of them are pushing real hard for the game to get back so that everyone involved in rugby league, not just the players, can start getting paid again. We don't want to wreck that.
The other thing is everyone throughout the world is in pretty much the same boat and there are tough fines being dished out to those who do the wrong thing so, like I said, there are no excuses. It's a bad look for us but it's done so you cop the punishment on the chin and move on.
While that wasn't great news, the rest of the week has been really positive with a 20 round competition to definitely resume on May 28 announced along with an Origin series to follow.
What a fantastic job Peter V'landys has done for us in getting our game back. I can't fault the bloke. He has taken it head on and hasn't taken a backward step.
He wants what's best for the game and has been working really hard. I love what he is doing and he's doing great things for us to grow as a game as well. It's been really tough times for everyone but he has been outstanding in what he's done to get us going.
Playing Origin after the grand final and not during the season will definitely be different. If I'm to be selected for those games, it'll be a unique situation being the first time it's happened.
I think it's going to be special to be a part of and who knows by then, hopefully we'll have all the fans back as well so I for one will be pumped for it if I'm lucky enough to be involved.
If it goes really well, who knows, it might stay that way. The clubs will probably be in favour of it because it won't impact on the competition which is the real bonus out of it. Every team will have their full compliment of players right through the year so it's going to be fairer and no team will be disadvantaged.
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