The NRL are still refusing to mandate vaccines for their players as pre-season kicks off for most clubs.
Despite government regulations being in place for New South Wales, Victoria and soon to be Queensland requiring anyone entering a stadium premise to be vaccinated, the NRL are refusing to force their players to get the jab against the coronavirus.
The AFL have mandated all players be vaccinated by certain dates depending on location around the country.
Thing will get easier for New South Wales-based clubs in the coming weeks, with either December 15 or 95 per cent vaccination rates set to see unvaccinated individuals be given the same freedoms as vaccinated people currently enjoy.
However, the same can't be said for Victoria and Queensland, impacting the Melbourne Storm, Brisbane Broncos, North Queensland Cowboys and Gold Coast Titans.
In Victoria, restrictions are unlikely to change, with premier Daniel Andrews unwilling to throw the gates open for unvaccinated individuals, while Queensland will bring in restrictions once they open their state borders for those who are unvaccinated, with them not to be reviewed until at least March.
It means players won't be able to train or play in either state unless they have received two jabs of the coronavirus vaccine.
However, Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'Landys told The Sydney Morning Herald that the game is now in a position where it can work with the current players refusing the jab - believed to be around 15 across the competition.
“I think people are really making a mountain out of a molehill. There are 15 players and that should reduce over time,” he said.
“We believe we can - like the government in NSW, allow for 95 per cent vaccination and the 5 per cent who don’t - you can work with it. The risk is low to nothing.
“So we are going in accordance with what the NSW government is doing. We can put processes in place where no one is at risk.
“As a rugby league family, we look after everyone. You can’t force people to do something they don’t want to do."
Of the four clubs directly impacted, only the Broncos are 100 per cent compliant, with the club announcing the news last week.
The Cowboys, Titans and Storm are all believed to have hold outs, while Sydney clubs would see their players be unable to travel interstate for games should they refuse to be vaccinated.
It's understood the Bulldogs, Panthers, Sea Eagles, Dragons and Raiders are among the other clubs with players hesitant to receive the vaccine.
The Rugby League Players Association last week reportedly proposed that clubs could provide directions to their players around vaccinations, with a termination of contract to follow eight weeks later if the player didn't comply, while pay would be heavily docked in the meantime at a rate of 1/52 for every week of training missed, and 1/30 for every game missed.