Knights CEO Phil Gardner is hopeful the club's huge fan-base will turn out to support their team at McDonald Jones Stadium against the Warriors today despite concerns over the spread of the coronavirus.
Mr Gardner said fans won't be turned away from the club's opening round clash following high-level meetings involving the federal government and the NRL yesterday but indefinite lock-outs will be in place from round two of the competition next weekend.
The Knights are scheduled to meet Wests Tigers and the Sharks away from home over the next fortnight before returning to McDonald Jones Stadium on April 3 for a fourth-round clash against the Cowboys.
There is still a possibility of the premiership being suspended at some stage in the future if the health crisis deepens and players start getting infected.
"We are alert but we are not panicking," Mr Gardner told the Newcastle Herald.
"At this stage, we only know of one confirmed case in our region and that's someone who has been to China and back and that person is in isolation.
"We are in daily contact with the NRL, they have a working party with the AFL and are liaising with the federal and state governments around the issue.
"Certainly, as the incidence of the virus gets higher, there will be other steps taken. We are doing everything we can to protect the players to make sure it's a safe workplace and to make sure the stadium is safe.
"The last resort would be to suspend the competition altogether and obviously, we hope it doesn't come to that but it's certainly a possibility.
"If we were to end up with a whole lot of players infected, suspending the competition would obviously be a step that would be seriously looked at."
Mr Gardner said he feels for the fans but the club and NRL is now focused on protecting the playing group from infection as much as possible. He addressed the team after their final training session on Friday.
"We are doing everything in our power to isolate the playing group as much as possible," he said. "We've stopped public visits to schools and hospitals and those sorts of things and internally, we'll be taking all the measures we can to keep the players shielded.
"But even with all the best of intentions, we could end up with some infections and then we will have to manage that the best we can.
"We have told the players they can acknowledge the fans tomorrow but only from the field. Unfortunately, there'll be no selfies, no shaking hands, no close interaction and we'll be isolating them from the crowd coming and going to the stadium."
Mr Gardner said the NRL and clubs are already working through a myriad of issues in relation to refunds for ticket sales and memberships for fans depending on how long the lock-outs last.
SIGN UP TODAY: For the best coverage of sport in Newcastle and the Hunter, subscribe for unlimited digital access
IN NEWS
- Serving Catholic priest in tears over 1971 letter revealed during landmark compensation case
- Under The Southern Stars rock festival called off due to global health pandemic
- Coronavirus: How you can help stop the spread of COVID-19
- Port of Newcastle withdraws cruise ship volunteers for rest of 2019/20 season
- Toohey's News, The Podcast Episode 01: Michael Hagan
- Newcastle courts: Predator Brett Hill appeal date set for July, 2020, as lawyers argue for maximum sentence
.jpg?w=600)
