LIFE in a bubble will take on a different perspective in the NRL (National Rugby League) gets its way.
In an attempt to kick-start the season on May 28 the NRL want to isolate all the players in one centralised area.
That essentially means all the teams would be "housed" in one specific area like the Sydney Olympic Park campus or at the Penrith Panthers High Performance Centre with all the necessary training facilities and accommodation.
As far as accommodation goes each player would be isolated in a room fitted out with training gear while meals would be delivered in an attempt to drastically reduce any unnecessary human contact.
Each player would also undergo daily medical checks in an attempt to allay concerns regarding the Covid-19 virus.
All this, of course, is an attempt to ensure rugby league is broadcast in order to generate much needed revenue.
Does it, though, see the players being treated more as commodities than employees of the NRL and the clubs?
There is a train of thought that the mental well-being of the players is being ignored and that effectively placing them in isolation (apart from team training's and game time) will have an adverse effect.
The contrary opinion is that the players are professionals who should do all they can to ensure the season kicks off.
The jury is out as to which pathway is the right one to take.

WITH the Northland Rugby centenary celebrations put on hold until next year there is now plenty of time for fans to discuss, debate and select their "Team of the Century".
Please send your team to me here and we'll do our best to publish the results.
Non-negotiables would be SM Going, JB Smith, PFH "Tiger" Jones, JE Morgan and ID Jones along with coach Ted Griffin.

GOING on my own market research there has obviously been an increase in beer consumption in recent weeks and a survey within the Northcote area has confirmed this.
Global statistics, however, place Kiwi battlers at 27th in beer consumption. At around 64.7 litres per person per annum New Zealand beer connoisseurs lag behind the thirsty types of the Czech Republic who are on top of the podium with 143.3 litres per person.
Our neighbours across "The Ditch" are in 23rd place with 71.4 litres.

JOURNALISTS in New Zealand - along with many other workers - are bearing the brunt of the Covid 19 crisis.
Just this week media company NZME cut the number of sports journalists in the group from around 40 to a dozen.
Provincial journalists - already battling due to a lack of resources - have been hit hard.
A respected journalist put this in perspective writing:
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for adding value to what we had attempted to do in our nuclear coverage of sports in the region.
"Towards the end of our tenure, we were always having to cherry pick events, teams and individuals to cover on any given day. It wasn't always easy and as we got older our ability to burn the candle at both ends became harder to maintain.
"If we did not do justice to coverage at any stage I hasten to emphasise it was never due to our lack of effort or passion for the job but, more so, out of frustration to do so due to a lack of time and resources."

 "WE no longer require your services.
You've got 30 minutes to clear your desk and leave the office."
Welcome to the Covid-19 crisis and the appalling way some employers are treating staff - many of them long serving - in New Zealand.
If you thought this was a myth then think again.
Emails sent to me this week confirm that staff are being treated like this and, unfortunately, it is becoming common.
There's no question companies are suffering considerable stress but to treat employees with disdain is unacceptable.

THE death of cult-hero Jock Edwards has evoked memories of a swash-buckling cricketer who thrilled fans. A legend of Nelson and Central Districts cricket the stocky right-hand batsman who hook and cut with intense ferocity would have been an integral part of any modern-day T20 outfit.
He also ensured fans on Sports Roundup would stay "glued" to the radio when he was batting!
Here's a great read on Jock from respected cricket writer and sport historian Lynn McConnell.

OUR mates across "The Ditch" live in hope of lifting the Bledisloe Cup if this is anything to go by.
It's probably the only way the Wallabies can win!
Good luck to them!
(Thanks to one of our Northcote Point readers for forwarding this to me.)

THE ongoing discussions regarding rugby's Mitre 10 and Farah Palmer Cup competitions continue.
Central to the ongoing debate is the suggestion the Mitre 10 Cup should be reduced to 10 teams.
Understandably that is resulting in much tension among rugby organisations that see the resumption of the competition as crucial to generating much needed revenue in, what will be, a shortened season.
A 10-team competition is seen as being more streamlined if only one or two rounds are played.
A decision will be made at the "on-line" New Zealand Rugby AGM on April 29.

FROM the "Back to the Future" files.
"Don’t leave town till you’ve seen the country,"was the catchphrase for an innovative advertising campaign in the 1980s.
The campaign strategy revolved around getting New Zealanders to visit their own "backyard" before heading off overseas. Featuring many quirky adverts - including National Airways Corporation (NAC) - the campaign tugged at the heartstrings.
Perhaps an advertising guru will dust it off once the lock-down is over.

WHILE on tourism, especially regarding Auckland's Gold Coast, the revised designs for the "Northern Pathway" project are now online.
To quote from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency: "NZTA is progressing the Northern Pathway project to provide a seamless dedicated walking and cycling link between central Auckland and Albany on the North Shore. It will connect with existing routes to help unlock the region's wider walking and cycling network."
Funded by a $360 million investment as part of the New Zealand Upgrade Programme the pathway will provide an impressive experience.
It will also ensure the venerable "Northcote Tavern" or "Trough" remains one of New Zealand's most treasured watering holes.
There couldn't be a better place to quench the thirst when the pathway is completed in 2023/2024.
To have a look at the revised plans go www.nzta.govt.nz/Northern-Pathway

THERE has been a great deal of comment regarding the state of the national game at grassroots level. 
As the Government reinforces the "lock-down" and "distancing" protocols New Zealand Rugby is looking at every possible way to kick-off the season. 
With the Heartland competition (a soft target) becoming the first rugby casualty of the crisis the latest plan would see Mitre 10 Cup starting in "empty" stadiums preceded by Farah Palmer Cup games.
Plans for club rugby to played alongside these competitions rely heavily on the ability of organisations to offer full-proof strategies to combat any Covid-19 scenario.  There is a line of thinking that the "virus" would be easier to combat in a controlled environment that competitions like Mitre 10 and the Farah Palmer Cup offer rather than at club level.
There is also some opposition from other codes - especially those associated with summer sports - who see rugby's steamroller approach as less than supportive.
Timing is the key and with the Government signalling the lock-down could continue for longer than the initial four weeks it becomes a more challenging proposition for rugby organisations.

* THE demise of Radio Sport was, for many, hard to handle. The station provided an outlet for fans of all sports to engage on many levels although some of the comment about it being a "tragedy", although entirely predictable, was over the top.
That aside the station was an integral of the sporting landscape. I was lucky enough to be part of the once vibrant sporting organisation from its inception until 2011.
The legendary broadcaster Tim Bickerstaff took me on board for a Saturday morning show and then I worked on nights between 8pm-midnight.
There were challenging times along with some adrenaline fueled ones and Tim's broadcasting mantra of "The sure way to fail is to try and please everyone" served me well over the years.
"The Saturday Dougout" (9am-midday) was a wonderful vehicle to showcase news and opinion along-with the outside broadcasts from a myriad of venues over the years. 
Getting out into the community for a broadcast was always a priority (even when logistics and engineering were challenging) and some of the best memories were from venues such as Riccarton racecourse (for the New Zealand Cup), rugby test match centres, bowls clubs, golf courses, cricket grounds, motor-racing circuits and even the Cardona ski-field.
In the early days of Radio Sport (pre-social media) the station was the outlet for fans to praise their teams or vent their frustrations and while getting a balance didn't always work out it still made for entertaining and informative radio.
To all those who worked at Radio Sport - respect.

* THIS blog has long been in the planning stage for a while and the current situation has accelerated its creation.
Obviously - and hopefully - it will evolve to the stage where we'll have interviews (audio and video) to discuss and more features as we get going.
Please bear with me as we fine-tune it. There will be mistakes (kept to a minimum I hope) and the odd technical malfunction but it was time to kick it off.
I welcome your feedback - both good and not so good - so flick me through an email. 
As someone once noted "The long march starts with one small step." This is that small step.