NRL: Price quarantined due to swine flu fears

Steve Price will be back at training tomorrow. Photo / Getty Images

Warriors captain Steve Price has been placed into quarantine until Wednesday because of the swine flu outbreak in the NRL.

Price and all of his Queensland State of Origin teammates have been ordered into isolation after Maroons prop Ben Hannant contracted the virus in Melbourne last week.

It meant Ashley Harrison and Darius Boyd were forced out of last night's match between the Titans and the Dragons on the Gold Coast, which was won by the Titans 28-24.

A Warriors spokesman said Price had shown no sign of any symptoms, and would be spending the next day at home, before returning to training on Wednesday.

Warriors head trainer Craig Walker, who is on the coaching staff for the New South Wales Origin team, has also been stood down.

Despite coming in contact with Hannant in State of Origin one, the New South Wales players have not been quarantined.

They are deemed to be at significantly less risk of infection than Queensland players who shared a camp environment.

Results of swabs taken from quarantined players over the next few days will be crucial in determining how serious a threat the H1N1 virus poses to the competition.

NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley indicated the league would continue to be guided by health authorities in relation to this weekend's round of fixtures.

"This whole thing is a moving feast obviously, it has been for quite some time," Annesley said.

"We're not doctors, we'll continue to take the advice of health authorities and at this stage our immediate issue is getting the game away tonight and I'm glad to say it's happened with minimal disruption.

"But we are in the hands of the health authorities, both NSW and Queensland and in any other state that we play."

That will also include Western Australia this weekend with South Sydney set to host Melbourne in Perth on Saturday night.

Hannant, the man at the centre of the swine flu drama, said he felt fine.

"I feel good actually, I'd be happy to train all week," he said from the Gold Coast where he is staying with family.

Hannant's Queensland Origin teammates were all put into quarantine on Monday, with NSW players cleared after it was confirmed Blues trainer Tony Ayoub did not have the virus.

That decision meant NSW representatives Justin Poore, Michael Weyman, Ben Creagh, Anthony Laffranchi and Luke Bailey were all free to play in Monday night's NRL clash.

"The clear advice from the health authorities was that the two Queensland-based players in close proximity to Ben Hannant for a considerable period of time were at greater risk than other players who may have come into contact during the course of the game of football," Annesley said.

"The advice from the health authorities that any player that was in camp with Ben Hannant should be quarantined for at least seven days from the last contact or 72 hours after they have received tamiflu, that's the basis on which the Queensland doctor has proceeded."

Asked whether all Queensland players had now been vaccinated, Annesley said: "They have received tamiflu, if they haven't already, they certainly will over the course of the next 24 hours."

The Cowboys quarantined their Origin contingent - including coach Neil Henry and trainer Billy Johnstone - but the club played down the threat posed by swine flu.

"People have been using words like panic and crisis but I can tell you it's far from panic and far from a crisis, for us it's an inconvenience," Cowboys chief executive Peter Parr said.

The Broncos did the same with their six Origin representatives headed by Queensland captain Darren Lockyer.

Despite the threat, Lockyer and co mingled with teammates at Red Hill and even had a team photo taken on Monday morning before the Broncos skipper addressed the media.

The NRL's very public stance to the threat was in direct contrast to that of the AFL, which refused to disclose its policy in relation to swine flu, with the AFL's medical officers having informed club doctors of the correct course of action if there was a confirmed case.

- NEWSTALK ZB, AAP