NSWRL staff, family of Blues players and media will face a mad dash into Queensland for State of Origin II after the Queensland government announced more border closures for people from certain parts of Sydney.
On Wednesday morning premier Annastacia Palaszczuk declared seven local government areas (LGAs) in Sydney would be locked out of Queensland from 1am on Thursday amid a COVID-19 outbreak in NSW.
LGAs of The City of Sydney, Woollahra, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West and Randwick have been added to the already listed hotspot of Waverley.
Those new hotspots will not be backdated which comes as some relief for the NSWRL with several Blues players and staff living in these affected areas.
Those who are already in camp in Kingscliff will be free to enter Queensland for game two after completing border declarations upon arrival at Gold Coast airport on Monday.
Recently retired ex-Blues captain Boyd Cordner is safely in Queensland after leaving Sydney's eastern suburbs and will be free to attend Sunday night's clash at Suncorp Stadium.
However, the closures will certainly impact fans flying into Brisbane for the sold out Origin game, while several media outlets are also scrambling to organise staff to cover the spectacle.
It's understood some families of Origin players have already travelled to Queensland to avoid any issues with the border that could arise.
The measures taken by the Queensland government are in response to Tuesday's announcement of 10 locally acquired cases in Sydney, with Wednesday's cases yet to be announced.
Premier Palaszczuk flagged increased restrictions depending on those results.
"We haven't heard the update from New South Wales today, so people should be prepared that if there is further spread in New South Wales, this advice may have to be updated during the course of the day or into the evening," she said.
The Blues had a team meeting on Wednesday morning before their scheduled day off in Kingscliff, where the developing COVID-19 situation in Sydney was addressed.
However, coaching staff want minimal distractions for the side as they prepare to wrap up the series with a win on Sunday night.
