Cronulla Sharks centre Will Chambers might be forced into isolation, but his acts may have saved the NRL season.
According to an The Daily Telegraph report, Chambers spent seven hours sitting in his car outside the Sharks home ground and training base upon his return from Melbourne as the NRL investigated his whereabouts in Melbourne.
Chambers had returned home to be at the birth of his daughter, a move which was permitted by the NRL.
It's understood Chambers had flown back from Melbourne on Thursday ahead of the Sharks clash with the Warriors on Sunday and was picked up from the airport by Sharks' welfare officer Jeff Robson.
Arriving back in the Shire at 2:15pm, Chambers then was forced to sit in his car after being alerted to a problem by the Project Apollo team at NRL headquarters.
Chambers was told the problem was that he had spent time inside Sydney Airport, which is marked by the NRL as a no-go zone in the current climate.
โThey (NRL) said they would get an answer for me on what my next step should be, so I sat patiently waiting," Chambers said.
โI knew that people (other players) had stuffed up in the game โ but I didnโt want to wreck the competition, ruin the clubโs reputation and my reputation.
โBut because I spent less than 10 minutes inside Sydney airport โ which I didnโt learn until I was sitting in my car, was a no-go zone. Honestly, it was 10 minutes.
โIt was a mistake and a misunderstanding."
It's understood Chambers then drove back to Melbourne for his isolation period. The centre will have to spend 14 days in quarantine before being able to resume with the Sharks.
The former representative player for both Queensland and Australia has struggled to find his feet this season, scoring just a single try in seven appearances.
Chambers, having spent time in Japanese Rugby after a long stint with the Storm, returned to the NRL with the Sharks mid-season and has been a constant in the struggling side.
Josh Hannay will now have to go the next two games, against the Warriors and Raiders, without Chambers as the men from the Shires desperately attempt to qualify for the finals series.
While Chambers will have to sit out, the NRL have far bigger problems to deal with given the COVID breaches committed by players in the past fortnight.
As the COVID situation worsens in Sydney, there is talk the entire competition will need to be moved out of the city in the coming days.
