The Sydney Roosters' NRL clash with Melbourne has become the first game moved as a result of NSW's COVID-19 crisis, with the match shifted to Newcastle.
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Roosters officials made the call to move next Thursday's clash from the SCG - the next NRL game due to be played in Sydney.
The club will however continue training at Moore Park, with no mass exodus out of Sydney planned.
But there are a number of factors that prompted the switch. The club's home ground remains within a nationally designated COVID-19 hotspot, with the Sydney outbreak emanating out of the eastern suburbs.
Melbourne are also still based on the Sunshine Coast, and borders remain closed between Queensland Greater Sydney.
"The people of the Hunter region love rugby league so it was an easy call to take our round-16 home game to Newcastle," Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.
The people of the Hunter Region love rugby league.
- TRENT ROBINSON
The game was one of five due to be played in Sydney next weekend, with no call yet made on the remaining matches and the league liaising with state governments.
Regardless, it appears most likely that matches will switch back into the format they were during 2020 during the outbreak.
That is likely to be most evident for Cronulla's away trip to Brisbane, given the Sharks will need to travel across a closed border. Clubs were last season able to travel between states using chartered flights with same-day travel, ruling out any need for overnight accommodation.
Sydney-based NRL players have been placed in level-three restrictions, effectively returning them to last year's bubble.
The majority of the NRL's focus this week has been on ensuring all essential staff could be present for State of Origin II at Suncorp Stadium.
However another hurdle does lay ahead with Game III scheduled to be played in Sydney on July 14.
The Storm confirmed on Thursday that Ryan Pepenhuyzen will use the clash with the Roosters as his return match.
Papenhuyzen has not played since being heavily concussed in Magic Round, ruling him out of the first two State of Origin matches.
The Storm are hopeful of returning home to Melbourne for round 18 after Origin III, with the COVID-19 situation easing in Victoria.
Meanwhile, Warriors coach Nathan Brown claims Chad Townsend's experience is the biggest boost for the club's spine after signing him on a four-month NRL contract.
Townsend will be available to play for the 11th-placed Warriors against St George Illawarra on July 2.
, after confirming he had played his last game for Cronulla.
The 30-year-old had already signed for North Queensland for next year and hasn't played NRL since being dropped by the Sharks last month.
But he will now add much-needed experience to a Warriors spine that has 18-year-old Reece Walsh at fullback and Wayde Egan at hooker.
Townsend's partnership with Kodi Nikorima in the halves comes after Chanel Harris-Tavita was ruled out for the season with a pectoral injury.
"Bringing a player of Chad's calibre and experience back to the club at this time of the year is terrific for us," Brown said.
