The NRL is facing the prospect of postponing the Round 1 clash between The Dolphins and South Sydney with one player already saying they are unwilling to risk flying into a cyclone for the match.
Brisbane is bracing for a rare weather event this week as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches the south-east Queensland coast, threatening to disrupt both NRL and AFL fixtures in Brisbane.
South Sydney forward Jai Arrow has made it clear he is unwilling to land in Queensland if the cyclone’s timing endangers the team’s flight, declaring, ‘there’s no chance I’ll fly into the cyclone.’
The Rabbitohs are due to face the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium on Friday, but doubts have surfaced because of the possibility of severe weather. .
Club officials plan to fly to Queensland on Thursday, though the schedule may change amid uncertainty over the cyclone’s landfall.
Bureau of Meteorology reports indicate Tropical Cyclone Alfred could make landfall as early as Thursday, packing winds of up to 95 kilometres per hour with gusts reaching 130 kilometres per hour.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall in Queensland toward the end of the week
South Sydney star Jai Arrow is not willing to risk his safety by flying into a cyclone
The AFL is also monitoring conditions ahead of its season opener at the Gabba, with a contingency plan ready if the weather threat escalates.
The NRL, however, has yet to confirm any potential changes to Friday night’s match, leaving both players and fans in limbo.
‘We’ve had a meeting and Wayne is in the process of talking to the NRL on what needs to be done there,’ Arrow said.
‘I don’t know if we are going up on Wednesday or Thursday, but I assume if it’s going to hit Thursday afternoon – well I’m not flying into a cyclone.
‘I’m happy to go up on Wednesday and spend some time in the great state of Queensland … because there’s no chance I’ll fly into the cyclone.’
Cody Walker, who has been nursing a calf complaint, is set to take over captaincy duties from Murray and will be available for Friday’s clash.
Arrow joked that Walker was ‘nearly 40 years old now,’ but emphasised that the playmaker will be ready if he deems himself fully fit.
‘He trained today and I expect to have him out there, but that’ll be Cody’s call,’ Arrow said. ‘If he knows he’s right, then he’ll be out there with us.’
Arrow, pictured playing against the Dolphins in 2024, hopes the side can fly up early for the clash at Suncorp Stadium
Former Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett, now South Sydney mentor, is working with the NRL
As for Arrow’s own fitness, he insists that he is poised to line up in the back row for round one, which would be a boost for South Sydney’s forward pack.
Tallis Duncan and Lachlan Hubner are expected to fight for a spot at lock, while Jye Gray is set to slot in at fullback in Mitchell’s absence.
Meanwhile, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has warned residents that Cyclone Alfred, currently a category two system, is unusual but not impossible.
‘It’s not impossible, it is unusual, and it’s important that people be ready for it,’ Crisafulli told ABC Radio Brisbane.
The cyclone sits in the Coral Sea and is predicted to generate large swells, with coastal areas already seeing waves up to 15 metres high.
Storm surges and significant beach erosion are expected from K’Gari Island down to the Gold Coast as Alfred sweeps west.
In the AFL, chief executive Andrew Dillon admitted the league may need to call off Thursday’s season opener as late as the morning of the match.
Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield says the Cats’ playing group has been circulating weather updates on WhatsApp, describing the situation as ‘quite extraordinary.’
‘There’s a few of us who are worried, there’s some poor swimmers in the group,’ Dangerfield joked.
The NRL continues to weigh its options for the Dolphins-Rabbitohs showdown, with Suncorp Stadium having a recent history of flooding.
Weather experts project the heaviest rain on Thursday, although conditions may remain volatile into the weekend.
