AS an NRL player with a freshly-inked five year contract, Temora product Zac Lomax knows he's one of the lucky ones.
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But the St George Illawarra outside back said it was virtually inevitable football would shut down as the game deals with the impact of the coronavirus crisis.
Players face the prospect of pay cuts and training in isolation for an extended period without any guarantee they'll play again this year.
The 20-year-old's future is already secure after he signed a long term deal with the Dragons in December.
He said the rugby league community are just as responsible to help counter the spread of the virus, and other people are in far worse situations than him.
"The thing we love most is playing football. It was always our intention to keep playing but I always had that gut feeling, especially once the AFL got cancelled, that this would be the case," he said.
"We found out from the RLPA (Rugby League Players Association) just before it was made public and we're just laying low today (Tuesday) to find out what happens now."
"I've been on the phone to mum and dad a few times today and they're on edge waiting to hear what the go is with us (brother Hayden) and footy.
"If we do get some time off I dare say we'll head back to Temora and stay there for a bit until further notice."
Lomax said it was likely unavoidable that players would have to take pay cuts to help the sport counter the biggest financial crisis in its history.
"I don't know if there's going to be much choice when there's not much coming in. It's something that will be spoken about, but that will have a fair bit to do with the RLPA," he said.
"We have to stick together and make sure we beat this virus together. We have to do what's best for the country, to stay at home and look after your loved ones so we can get back on the field, and others can get back to their jobs.
"There's going to be a lot of people and families without jobs, they're the ones everyone is thinking about."
Lomax said it may be difficult mentally to train without knowing when, or if, the NRL season will resume.
"I'll probably have to be doing a fair bit of stuff in the backyard or the lounge room. Everyone's going to be isolated and you obviously can't be close to each other," he said.
"There's a bit of uncertainty there but the last thing you can be doing is not keeping your body in reasonable shape because if it does turn on its head and they say we're playing, we need to be ready.
"Everyone will be doing their bit to keep fit and healthy.
"My brother's been playing in the NSW Cup as well and I have some mates back home who play for Temora Dragons. Obviously everyone's in the same boat and there's so much uncertainty around it."
Unlike the AFL who have said they hope to return after May 31, the NRL hasn't put a specific time frame on when games can resume.
The Dragons had lost their opening two games.
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