Sydney's fortnight-long Covid-19-induced lockdown has thrown the NRL season into chaos with crowdless games expected while the venue for State of Origin game three is up in the air.
Game three is due to be played at ANZ Stadium on July 14, but the Australian Rugby League is considering movingthe game to an alternative venue or playing it in front of a reduced crowd.
From 6pm on Saturday, residents in Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains and Wollongong will have to abide by stay-at-home order until July 9.
Ten of the NRL's 16 teams currently live in those areas, including the New Zealand Warriors, who have relocated to the Central Coast this season.
State of Origin III is now in extreme doubt with the game schedule only five days after Sydney's lockdown is due to end.
The NRL has not hesitated to change the venue of games in the past, moving Game One of the State of Origin series from Melbourne to Townsville when Victoria was in lockdown at the start of June.
The ARL Commission will hold a crisis meeting on Tuesday where it will decide whether to hold NRL games in Sydney as scheduled without crowds or relocate the matches outside of locked-down areas.
The NRL competition is set to resume after the State of Origin break on Thursday when the Sydney Roosters take on Melbourne in Newcastle, which has already been moved from the Sydney Cricket Ground.
