Despite pressure to adopt a "no jab, no play" policy, the ARL Commission has revised a vaccination waiver clause to allow NRL players to play if they refuse to get a flu shot.
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However, ARLC chairman Peter V'landys has warned players who do not sign the altered waiver will be banned.
The governing body on Thursday tinkered with the clause after it emerged Canberra trio Josh Papalii, Sia Soliola and Joseph Tapine refused to sign the waiver on religious grounds and Gold Coast's Bryce Cartwright defiantly rejected vaccination.
Overall three per cent of NRL players refused a flu shot that formed part of strict biosecurity measures that will allow the league's resumption on May 28.
"A clause has been taken out. It used to say they believe by not having it (vaccination) that would put them medically at risk - well they don't believe that," V'landys told AAP.
"So we have changed that to say that they have been advised by their medical officer that they are at risk. It should've been like that in the first place to be honest.
"So if any player doesn't execute the waiver they will not be able to play."
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton on Thursday backed Prime Minister Scott Morrison's call that players who refused vaccination should be banned.
However, V'landys was comfortable with players who refused a flu shot to continue playing as long as they signed the revised waiver.
"My advice is that the people who didn't want to sign the waiver, if the clause was changed they would sign without a problem," he said.
"We have listened to them (players), we have made amendments but that's final. If they don't sign it, they won't play."
Dutton upped the ante after Morrison's "no jab, no play" call on Wednesday, saying the league should apply a blanket ban for players who refused the shot.
"I think that's spot on," Dutton said on 2GB radio, adding the Warriors' exemption into the country was contingent on health commitments.
Dutton added the anti-vaccination movement had been discredited for some time and religious grounds should not be exempt.
But V'landys said he was comfortable with restarting the competition with 97 per cent of players vaccinated.
"We respect the government because they have assisted us all the way through on our target day of May 28," V'landys said.
"But in the protocols we had approved by government it allowed us to allow players not to vaccinate on cultural and religious reasons.
"And I think we have met the government expectations by having 97 per cent of the players vaccinated.
"If it was 50 per cent we would have a different perspective on it."
The waiver change came after Cartwright launched a spirited defence of his stance on social media on Wednesday night.
"I won't be bullied into making decisions that could impact my health and the health of my family," he posted.
"Giving us the ultimatum of get(ting) the shot or be stood down is coercion."
St George Illawarra forward James Graham had a simplistic take when asked about vaccination.
"Ask your doctor, don't ask footballers," he said.
Australian Associated Press
