The NRL is in urgent talks with the Queensland Government to keep round 20 alive after a snap three-day lockdown banned all sport in the south-east of the state.
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The five remaining games of the weekend were placed under a huge cloud of doubt, with no possible path forward in south-east Queensland.
Players who had been released from hard quarantine on Thursday were told to rush back to their hotel immediately after the announcement on Saturday.
They have been informed they will now be back under the game's strictest bubble conditions.
According to Queensland Health regulation teams who have been inside the Brisbane hub are unable to play anywhere, throwing all five of the remaining games in serious doubt.
It's already understood the 3pm game between St George Illawarra and South Sydney in Rockhampton will not go ahead at that start time.
Rabbitohs players were in the air when the news broke while the Brisbane-based Dragons were stuck on the tarmac.
Queensland's chief health officer Jeannette Young confirmed NRL games could not be played in Brisbane or the Gold Coast.
"There will be no football matches," Young said.
"So, no community sport, no professional sport, nothing for the next three days. Starting as of 4pm today."
Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium was meant to host a double-header on Saturday with Newcastle against Canberra and Melbourne facing Penrith.
Games were also scheduled for Gold Coast and Rockhampton on Sunday.
One option available to the NRL is to fly teams to Townsville, with the Raiders-Knights possibly able to go ahead in the north of the state given neither team's hub is based in Brisbane.
Penrith are also on the Sunshine Coast, however given the Storm are based in Brisbane they would need an exemption to travel for that game to be moved.
Other challenges could also remain, including getting broadcast infrastructure set up in time at any new venue.
Players' families also remain in quarantine on the Gold Coast, potentially creating issues if the competition is moved elsewhere.
The NRL do have some room to move in their schedule if games have to be pushed back or the competition is suspended, with the end-of-year World Cup unlikely to go ahead.
Australian Associated Press
