Bree Nikorima, the wife of Dolphins star Kodi Nikorima, has reportedly been left outraged by the NRL‘s decision on Tuesday to relocate the Dolphins’ clash against the Sydney Rabbitohs on Friday.
The Rabbitohs were due to travel to Queensland to take on the Dolphins at the Suncorp Stadium this week. But amid safety concerns over Cyclone Alfred, league bosses have switched the match around so that the game will be played in Sydney at the CommBank Stadium instead.
The Dolphins are now due to play their return home fixture on June 28.
Cyclone Alfred has developed into a category two storm in the past 24 hours with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) predicting that southern parts of Queensland, including Brisbane are due to be struck by 120km/h winds. Flash flooding and a deluge of rain is also expected to fall during the week.
Nikorima’s partner was not happy with the decision to move the match to New South Wales claiming that the game should have been cancelled entirely.
‘Because a game of football is THAT IMPORTANT,’ she wrote on Instagram according to News.com.au.
Bree Nikorima the wife of Dolphins star Kodi Nikorima, has lashed out at teh NRL on social media
She claimed the decision not to completely cancel the Dolphins’ clash against the Rabbitohs on Friday was ‘disgusting’, expressing her anger that families would be ‘left behind’ as the cyclone hits
The Cyclone is due to make landfall on Thursday evening and will bring with it gusts of 120km/h and potential flash flooding
‘Leaving the families behind to ride out the direct line of cyclone alone. Some with no support at all.
‘I’m six months pregnant with two young kids in an area that can flood, disgusting.’
‘Do better @nrl,’ she added, publishing a ‘vomit-face’ emoji.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, NRL chiefs said the game was moved due safety concerns.
‘The NRL has made the decision today to allow for the appropriate changes to be implemented and acknowledges and thanks both the Dolphins and the Rabbitohs for their approach and co-operation,’ the NRL said in a statement on Tuesday.
‘The NRL said the safety of players, fans and the community were the highest priority when considering the venue change.’
The Rabbitohs confirmed that fans who were looking to attend the match at the CommBank stadium would be notified on how to secure tickets.
Rabbitohs boss Blake Solly said: ‘Firstly, we hope everyone in Queensland and northern New South Wales are staying safe and following the advice of authorities with regards to protecting themselves in the face of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
‘The advice we received from the QLD government was to move the game and we have been able to accommodate the move.
The mother of two young children, who is also six months pregnant, told the NRL to ‘do better’
The NRL made the decision to reschedule Friday’s match on Tuesday following warnings from government officials over the nature of the category two storm
‘With us now hosting the Dolphins in Sydney for round one, it means our return game against the Dolphins in round 17 will be played in Queensland. We have worked closely with the Dolphins, the NRL and Venues NSW to ensure the game goes ahead and we thank them for their positive approach to moving this game to Sydney.
‘We will communicate with our Members and supporters over the next day to let them know how they can attend this game to support their team, and we thank them for their patience as we put together this event at the last minute.’
Several other sporting events around Queensland have been rescheduled this week, with the AFL opting to postpone its Opening Round fixtures between Brisbane and Geelong at the Gabba and Gold Coast and Essendon at the People’s First Stadium.
The 2025 WPGA Championship, which was set to be hosted at the Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club in Hope Island this weekend has also been postponed while the 2025 Mooloolaba Triathlon is expected to be rescheduled too.
It comes as Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale has admitted he wouldn’t have played in the Lions season-opener if it had been relocated but still went ahead this week.
Speaking to AFL360 Neale insisted he would not have left his family to make a trip to play in an alternate location, adding that he would only make himself eligible for selection if the AFL were willing to transport family members also.
‘I think my first opinion on that would have been I wouldn’t have played, I would have stayed here with Jules and the kids, and we have a dog here as well,’ Neale said.
‘So, unless they were willing to fly families as well — which on pretty short notice I’m not sure they could have organised that — but if they were able to fly families out of town and we could have sorted out the dog, then I would’ve done it, but I wouldn’t have left Jules (Neale’s wife) here with our three-year-old daughter and a 10-week, 11-week-old little boy.
Brisbane star Lachie Neale says he ‘would not have played’ if the AFL had moved Brisbane’s opening round fixture to another venue
‘I wouldn’t have played.’
Neale said there was ‘relief’ among the Brisbane playing group that the game had been scrubbed, with Cyclone Alfred due to hit Queensland later this week.
‘I think that (relief) is the overwhelming sense here in Brisbane (after hearing of the game’s postponement),’ Neale said. ‘It was the news that we were waiting for and expecting for a couple of days, really.
‘I sort of didn’t really know too much about it until Sunday, I reckon, and then we got told in our leadership meeting Sunday afternoon that there’s a cyclone on its way and it could affect the game Thursday, and it sort of snowballed from there.
‘Just looking at the weather map and the predictions of what lies ahead over the next 48-72 hours, the right call was made, I think, and we’ll bunker down here for a few days and hope for the best and then see what the damages are and go from there and move onto Sydney … the grand final rematch next week.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .