Canberra Raiders chief executive Don Furner says a proposal has gone to the ARL Commission which would allow coaches to use players from their NSW Cup or Jersey Flegg Cup squads should their playing ranks be battered by the virus.

Rival codes have been forced to postpone a number of games to combat the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases but the NRL's approach could see rugby league bosses avoid a similar headache.

The Raiders have had a number of players test positive to the virus while two are yet to be vaccinated, but the entire squad has returned to training.

"They're telling us the commission will come up with a system whereby you can drag players outside the top 30 to fill in after a certain amount of rounds and after receiving some positives, which won't be included in the salary cap," Furner said.

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"That's obviously needing to be put in place, we haven't got it yet. Speaking with coaches, I think the NRL realised it's a must this year to make sure we can get through 24 games.

"We've got everybody back. We had some positives over Christmas, as just about every club did. We've got to understand this season will be different because there will be positives.

"We amazingly got through two seasons without positive tests so no one was pulling out of games. That's certainly probably going to happen this season, we just have to minimise it. That's why testing everyday is important."

The NRL has already introduced measures to ensure the show goes on this year with players and staff tested daily before they enter club facilities.

Clubs have been provided with rapid antigen tests to use on players and staff, with Furner confident the Raiders have "enough to get us through for months and months" with upwards of 50 people requiring tests per day.

Players are banned from indoor venues - including pubs, clubs and cinemas - and have restrictions placed on gatherings at their own homes.

Raiders trio Jack Wighton, Jordan Rapana and Hudson Young all took to social media to voice their frustration with another year of living under restrictions. Former Dally M medal winner Wighton wrote "thought I was getting the stupid vax so I didn't have to do another year of this s---".

There is a concern more players will suffer from bubble fatigue, but Furner says players should be commended for ensuring the game has continued since the virus struck.

"The players are slipping back into 2020 mode which is testing every day and limiting their exposure," Furner said.

"The NRL are putting in place strict rules, they know it's impossible to eliminate but as much as we can, we have to reduce the risk.

"One of those being is we have to cancel the season launch, which is the community launch and also for our sponsors. The players do school visits around this region and the country area and we've had to cancel those too because it's a risk at this stage.

"It's disappointing because it's our 40th year and we were planning a big season launch for our 40th season. To err on the side of caution we have to cancel those events. We'll have one during the middle of the year to induct some players into our Hall of Fame."

The Raiders are banking on a full season back on their home turf at Canberra Stadium, which Furner says would be a chance to repay fans and sponsors, after being forced to take games on the road over the past two years.

Ricky Stuart's squad has not played at home since round 16 last year, after which they were forced to take their next four matches to Queensland. The year prior they were made to take two home games to Campbelltown Stadium.

"We haven't got the full game day protocols just yet. As it stands, we're allowed full crowds at [Canberra] and we'd really love to have a full season at [Canberra]," Furner said.

"We've battled through two seasons of playing with Campbelltown as our home ground and [Brisbane] as our home ground. That's two years of no home-ground advantage we've had to give up.

"We'd love to be back at [home] in front of big crowds. At this stage that's what it stands at. In round one against the Sharks we'd like to see a big crowd out there.

"They've stayed loyal, our fans and our sponsors. We had such a low percentage that asked for a refund, it wasn't a massive hit to us. They were very loyal and rolled them over.

"To be able to deliver them a full season at home would be timely, because maybe after three or four years they mightn't be. I always say our fans are fantastic for sitting through the cold. They've gone through a tough period and they all rolled over."

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