Exempt NRL players face mid-year hurdle

Unvaccinated players could cause the NRL a mid-season conundrum as their medical exemptions potentially expire.

Those who have obtained temporary exemption from being vaccinated against COVID-19 will be forced to miss matches later in the year unless they get the jab.

It could lead to a tricky situation for the likes of North Queensland captain Jason Taumalolo and Melbourne prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona, whose vaccination statuses remain unknown.

The league hasn't mandated vaccination like the AFL but state rules require players to be double-jabbed to enter Queensland and Victorian stadiums.

Exemptions can be sought for reasons including a medical contraindication or a COVID-19 infection, which allows vaccination to be deferred by four months.

Taumalolo and Asofa-Solomona have been cleared to start the season but could be sidelined down the track if it turns out they obtained exemptions due to contracting COVID-19.

While the vast majority of NRL players are immunised, a handful remain hesitant.

Canberra forward Joe Tapine told The Sydney Morning Herald this week that he's yet to be jabbed, citing "reactions to past vaccinations", and had not received an exemption.

Tapine can currently play home matches in the nation's capital and away games against NSW-based clubs but will have to stay behind when the Raiders go to Queensland or Melbourne.

Vaccinated players, meanwhile, are now enjoying more relaxed protocols allowing them to attend events like birthday parties, weddings and funerals without permission.

They can also freely attend restaurants, cafes and bars, but groups of three or more players and/or staff from the same club cannot congregate together in indoor settings.

"We certainly don't want the players living in