Gold Coast's Cbus Super Stadium has been locked successful arsenic the venue for Melbourne's clash with Newcastle connected Saturday night, aft the Storm were forced to fly Victoria up of the state's latest looming lockdown.
While the Storm were fixed the all-clear to stay successful Melbourne as 12 clubs acceptable disconnected for hubs successful south-east Queensland yesterday, the state's deteriorating COVID-19 concern has led to the reigning premiers moving to Brisbane.
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Saturday's revised fixture volition spot the Cowboys-Roosters lucifer instrumentality spot astatine Queensland Country Bank Stadium successful Townsville from 3pm, the Raiders-Sharks crippled astatine Cbus Super Stadium from 5:30pm and the Storm-Knights clash astatine the aforesaid venue from 7:35pm.
Melbourne's latest relocation has travel conscionable arsenic the nine had been gearing up for its archetypal location crippled since April, erstwhile the Storm thumped Wests Tigers 66-16.
It's besides the 3rd clip Melbourne person had to relocate interstate since the COVID-19 pandemic began to interaction the NRL competition.
"We are truly disappointed we won't beryllium capable to play successful beforehand of our members and fans again this play arsenic we hoped to," Storm main enforcement Justin Rodski said.
"I cognize however overmuch everyone connected with Storm - our players and unit done to our hugely loyal members and fans - was looking guardant to it.
"There has been truthful overmuch excitement and readying enactment into returning to AAMI Park but unluckily the determination successful the extremity was retired of our hands.
"We volition proceed to enactment with the NRL and governments implicit the coming days to measure the concern successful Victoria and program our instrumentality arsenic soon arsenic possible.
"We cognize this volition beryllium highly disappointing for our members and fans who person missed watching our squad play unrecorded astatine AAMI Park.
"We anticipation to instrumentality again for our lucifer against the Panthers and volition supply an update arsenic we get much detail."
The Storm lone returned to Melbourne from the Sunshine Coast a fortnight ago, aft being based successful Queensland for adjacent to 50 days during Victoria's past COVID-19 spike.
The Storm's State of Origin representatives - Josh Addo-Carr, Dale Finucane, Cameron Munster, Christian Welch and Felise Kaufusi - flew location to Melbourne from the Gold Coast this morning, lone to beryllium told they were headed consecutive backmost to Queensland.
Melbourne past twelvemonth called the Sunshine Coast location for 5 months connected their mode to winning an iconic premiership.
They didn't play a crippled successful Melbourne aft Round Four of the 2020 season, erstwhile they defeated South Sydney 22-8.
"It's wide the hazard to the contention is excessively large to support the Storm successful Melbourne, truthful we person made the determination to relocate the nine to Brisbane,'' NRL main enforcement Andrew Abdo said.
"The Storm person made important sacrifices implicit the past 2 years. I privation to convey the players and unit for everything they are doing to support our contention going."
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