Canberra Raiders chief Don Furner is frustrated by the "shock" of the club being forced to move interstate at the 11th hour as the city marks one year without a locally-acquired COVID-19 case.
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The Raiders have been lumped in with nine Sydney-based clubs, as well as Newcastle and the Central Coast-based New Zealand Warriors, and told to move to Queensland to keep the NRL season alive.
It was effectively the Victorian government delivering the blow, after ACT and NSW residents were banned from entering Victoria from midnight on Sunday. ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr labelled it "collateral damage" from NSW's worsening COVID-19 crisis.
Furner says the Raiders initially thought they would be allowed to stay in Canberra while other clubs relocated, but "we got tagged in by the Victorian government as a red zone and that changed everything".
So now the Raiders will be forced to send a group of 41 - including 29 players and 12 staff members - to south-east Queensland, despite Canberra being COVID-free.
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"Our stadium is allowed full capacity, the city has been pretty compliant, we've worn masks for the past two weeks, our players have too," Furner said.
"Game-wide there have been some bad choices of judgement, but I've got to say by and large, 98 per cent of the staff and players have complied on and off for over 18 months.
"I'm proud of our players because they have been very good. I thought we were doing a good job as a club, as was Canberra as a city, but unfortunately we got tagged in by the Victorian government as a red zone and that changed everything."
So what does it mean for the Raiders?
WHERE DO THEY GO?
You could call them the Cararra Raiders. Canberra will call the Gold Coast home for the next month.
Three hubs will be set up. Teams on the Sunshine Coast will be based at the Novotel Twin Waters, those in Brisbane at Novotel Southbank, and the Mercure in Carrara for those on the Gold Coast.
Games will be played at Lang Park, Robina Stadium and Sunshine Coast Stadium. Queensland-based clubs, along with the Melbourne Storm, will continue to be based in home cities.
Clubs will be flown on charter flights to Queensland and comply with Apollo protocols. Every club will be permitted a maximum of 41 players and staff.
"We're taking 29 players, that can change with injuries and suspension," Furner said.
"This particular arrangement is set down for four weeks, obviously it could go for longer and they will probably review it. I think 29 should cover us for four weeks unless we run into a bad state of injuries or suspensions."
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Raiders are making inquiries about a potential return to the ACT if the territory is no longer listed as a red zone by other states.
But for now they will adjust to life on the road, with a revised fixture with new venues for the next four rounds will be released in the coming days.
NSW clubs will return home if the ARL Commission believes risk to the competition in NSW has subsided. Relocations could be longer than one month.
"We thought we were going to be one of the teams that could remain at home but that changed pretty quickly. We briefed all the players this morning. They'll be flying out on Wednesday, the players and staff, 41 of them," Furner said.
"Those who choose to take families up there, they will be relocated either later in the week or early next week."
WHAT'S THE COST?
The NRL is budgeting between $12 million and $15 million per month to host 12 teams in Queensland.
Raiders members and corporate partners will be compensated for any lost benefits incurred through until the end of the regular season.
Canberra Stadium was slated to host Raiders home games against Cronulla this Saturday and St George Illawarra on August 6, but both matches will be played elsewhere.
"We will come back to them at the end of the year with an offer of compensation. We're just going to wait until the end of the year because we don't know if it's going to be two games."
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