NRL's stunning double standards on vaccination

Mark Levy is the big of 2GB's Wide World of Sports vigor show. Tune successful from 6pm-7pm, Monday to Thursday!

Vaccinating the colonisation against COVID-19 is the cardinal to opening up the state and getting backmost to immoderate normality.

That includes the National Rugby League.

Thankfully, the immense bulk of players, coaches and unit are consenting to rotation up their sleeves; we've adjacent seen the likes of NSW and Roosters skipper James Tedesco utilizing his power successful the assemblage by posting a video to promote radical to get the jab.

I'm amazed the ARL Commission won't marque it compulsory, fixed the restrictions it would spot connected the tiny fig of players who garbage the vaccination and the knock-on effect it whitethorn person connected the wider contention done question restrictions.

I agree, nary 1 should interfere with your freedoms, liberties and spiritual beliefs; but they travel with consequences arsenic an worker of the NRL.

The league is moving connected a strategy to rotation retired the vaccine, nevertheless a 'no-jab no-play' argumentation is improbable due to the fact that the league is disquieted astir the backlash from the arrogant practice of Polynesian players successful the game.

It's besides worthy pointing retired the anti-vaxxers who proceed to spruik implicit rubbish astir the vaccines protecting the assemblage from COVID-19. Instead of watching videos connected societal media, they should truly commencement taking enactment of the aesculapian evidence.

Dr Ross Walker, who's heard connected 2GB, precocious wrote the pursuing successful a file titled: 'Can we halt each this paranoia astir vaccinations, please?'

"Vaccinations person stopped millions of children dying from precise nasty infectious diseases. Also, with conditions specified arsenic Polio, vaccines person stopped lifelong disability. For reasons not based connected immoderate subject whatsoever but from occasional anecdotes, determination has been a tiny but precise noisy anti-vaxxing assemblage continuing to dispersed gross misinformation based connected nary subject whatsoever."

NRL main enforcement Andrew Abdo and ARLC president Petr V'landys. (Getty)

There is simply a noisy number that has caused rugby league powerfulness brokers headaches successful the past and the NRL can't spend immoderate much antagonistic publicity arsenic it bends implicit backwards to appease the authorities governments and their ever-changing restrictions.

The Rugby League Players Association has been progressive successful the discussions by suggesting a level of compassion beryllium shown to those players who garbage the vaccine. RLPA CEO Clint Newton precocious told The Australian newspaper: "In our view, vaccination should not beryllium a information of employment and the NRL has been precise supportive erstwhile it comes to providing state of choice." 

The RLPA volition ever enactment the rights of the players but this is bigger than immoderate individual.

Peter V'landys was asked by News Corp wherever the league stands connected vaccinations and the ARLC president said: "I won't beryllium forcing immoderate players to get the injection. The Government has indicated it won't marque the COVID vaccination compulsory truthful we won't beryllium doing that either."

I'm stunned, however, by the treble standards from the ARL Commission erstwhile it comes to the supporters who wage their hard-earned wealth to capable the stadiums crossed Australia.

The league is supporting the propulsion from Venues NSW brag Tony Shepherd, who's insistent connected vaccination passports to bargain tickets for rugby league, AFL, cricket oregon immoderate large events astatine large stadiums adjacent year.

So, if you privation to ticker a crippled of footy astatine Bankwest Stadium, Stadium Australia oregon the SCG, there's a accidental you WILL person to beryllium vaccinated, but the NRL and the ARL Commission WON'T marque it mandatory for the players.

They're inevitably saying you tin play footy without a vaccination, but you can't ticker it ... I'm sorry, that's not close and it doesn't marque immoderate sense.

RLPA brag Clint Newton. (Getty)

Throughout the pandemic we've heard politicians, concern leaders and sporting bodies suggest 'we are each successful this together'; good if that's the case, wherefore won't the NRL marque the COVID-19 vaccine compulsory for everyone progressive successful the game?

Do you truly deliberation the 1 per cent of players successful rugby league who are against the vaccine would hazard their multi-million dollar contracts implicit thing that volition support them from a deadly virus?

Weigh up the options: support getting paid thousands of dollars to play football, oregon garbage the jab and participate the existent world.

The NRL has an important relation to play successful eliminating the vaccine hesitancy and it's clip for Peter V'landys and Andrew Abdo to stand-up to the anti-vaxxers and marque it compulsory.

For the record, I've had my archetypal changeable of AstraZeneca and I've been encouraging my mates to bash precisely the same.

If you've got immoderate questions, speech to your GP and inquire which 1 is close for you.

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