Swine flu fears rock NRL

St George's Darius Boyd (L) and Gold Coast's Ashley Harrison were forced out of last night's match. Photos / Getty Images

SYDNEY - The NRL has described the swine flu as a "moving feast" after being forced to pull two players from a match and quarantine all those involved in last week's Origin opener.

Gold Coast backrower Ashley Harrison and St George Illawarra's Darius Boyd were sensationally forced to withdraw from Monday night's NRL clash at Skilled Park after Maroons teammate Ben Hannant became struck down by the bug.

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.

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.

New Zealand Warriors captain Steve Price has been stood down by the club until Wednesday, after turning out for Queensland in the first State of Origin match.

Price, who played in Sunday's 10-18 loss to Cronulla Sharks in Sydney, had been stood down on advice from the NRL.

A club spokesman said Price had shown no sign of any symptoms, and would be spending the next day or so 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.

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.

- AAP