The Papua New Guinea Hunters' relocation to Australia for the Queensland Cup rugby league season has been delayed.
The squad is shifting to the Sunshine State in order to retain their place in the competition, after last year's Intrust Super Cup was scrapped because of Covid-19.
The Hunters began pre-season training at the start of December. Photo: Facebook / SP PNG Hunters
30 players and six management staff were meant to depart Port Moresby on Sunday but the club was forced to change their plans after a request to isolate and train together at a facility on the Gold Coast was denied.
"It would have allowed us to train but it was just too big a facility and it wasn't exclusive to the Hunters for the Queensland Police to be able to surveil it properly," explained Hunters coach Matt Church.
"It probably wasn't a great deal of shock when we see what was happening with the Australian Open tennis players. If the worlds best tennis players have to go into isolation there's a fair chance that we were going to have to."
The Hunters will make the move to their new home base at Runaway Bay once they have compeleted two weeks of managed isolation at a Brisbane hotel.
"The boys have been really really good and strong in the knowledge that you can't really change what's not in our control and this is certainly one thing that's not in our control," Church said.
"What we can control is training hard and working hard and making sure that we put ourselves in a good position when we actually get down to Queensland."
PNG Hunters coach Matt Church briefs training squad. Photo: Facebook / SP PNG Hunters
The squad will also be provided with devices and wifi access to ensure they can keep in touch with each other and their families back at home.
"We're going to have to find ways to stay connected...and at least have meetings each day to check in on everyone and see how everyone's going and do some stuff in and around our programme while we're in a room by ourselves."
The PNG Hunters have not played on home soil since a pre-season clash in Port Moresby 12 months ago. Photo: RNZ Pacific/Melvin Levongo
And with the Hunters opening rounds clash against Wynnum Manly Seagulls less than seven weeks away, maintaing their pre-season fitness is also a non-negotiable.
"Certainly once...everyone comes out of isolation we'll know who's put in the work, because it will be easy to see, during that isolation period and they'll be putting their hand up for round one to get picked I will assume."
"In PNG most people have high expectations and I won every game in 2020 (laughing) but they would certaintly like to see a lot more football. I think we all would, everyone involved with the Hunters as a coach or a player, and hopefully it's a longer season than one game."
Matt Church said the squad is awaiting final clearance from Queensland Health and all going well they will fly out for Brisbane this weekend.