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'Send me the plan': QLD Premier fires latest shot in battle with NRL

Riley Morgan
·Sports Reporter
·2-min read
QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured left) talking to the media and Kalyn Ponga (pictured right) passing the ball.
QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured left) and Kalyn Ponga (pictured right) after the premier said the NRL would not restart until she sees the plans for her state (Getty Images)

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has warned the NRL the state government would need to see all their plans before the code could potentially get underway again.

Wayne Pearce announced last night the government gave the green light to the code to restart on 28 May under the Project Apollo scheme.

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But Queensland Premier Palaszczuk was having none of it and said she would need to see a detailed outline of the NRL’s plans before a game was played in the state.

“There is no detailed plan. I call on the NRL to submit that detailed plan and I will immediately forward it to Dr Young for her consideration and to report back to me,” Palaszczuk said, according to the Courier Mail.

“I’m saying to the NRL, send the detailed plan, send all of your health information, send how it’s all going to work.

“Put it in a detailed plan and I’m more than happy to forward it to Dr Young. Dr Young has said today she’s more than happy to consider it.”

This comes after the premier lashed NSW great Brad Fittler for his scathing attack on her.

QLD premier lashes Fittler

Premier Palaszczuk hit back at criticism from Fittler on Monday, labelling the NSW State of Origin coach’s comments amid the current crisis as ‘ridiculous’.

Fittler doubled down on his attack on the Queensland Premier on Saturday, saying her stance on playing State of Origin in 2020 was ‘ludicrous’ and showed ‘no backbone’.

Last week the Queensland Premier said she doubts the NRL's showpiece event can be played during a pandemic, but said she had her fingers crossed for December.

NSW Blues head coach Brad Fittler speaks to media.
NSW Blues head coach Brad Fittler speaks to media. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Palaszczuk also declared she wouldn’t want an Origin match to be played in Queensland and she wouldn’t support sending Queensland clubs to Sydney to help the NRL restart on May 28.

The comments drew the ire of NSW coach and Blues legend Fittler, who said he can't understand that attitude to an Origin series as the Australian rates of COVID-19 infection continue to drop.

But after Fittler’s latest comments on Saturday, Palaszczuk’s office has heard enough.

“It’s ridiculous. The premier is in the midst of a global pandemic and is managing the health concerns for Queensland,” a spokesperson for Palazczuk told the Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday.

“They always come first. The Premier has said often that the health advice comes first.”