NRL Player’s Spouse Slams ‘Unacceptable’ Relocation Decision as AFL Star Confesses He ‘Wouldn’t Have Participated’

The spouse of Dolphins player Kodi Nikorima has condemned the NRL’s decision to shift Friday night’s match against the Rabbitohs from Brisbane to Sydney, calling it “disgraceful”.

This criticism comes as AFL star Lachie Neale from Brisbane indicated he would have refused to participate in his team’s season opener against Geelong on Thursday if it had been relocated.

The AFL decided to postpone two matches originally set to take place in Brisbane and the Gold Coast this week due to the threat posed by Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which is approaching Queensland’s southern coastline.

In contrast, the NRL chose not to postpone their game; instead, they moved it from Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium to Sydney’s CommBank Stadium.

The Dolphins are set to face the Rabbitohs at 8pm Sydney time, which translates to 7pm Queensland time.

While the NRL execs managed to save the match and steer clear of a scheduling conflict, Bree Nikorima has strongly criticized the choice to move Queensland-based players and their support staff away from their families during a potentially devastating weather event.

She claimed the governing body didn’t give sufficient consideration to the repercussions, leaving families to face the adverse weather without any support. She expressed her frustration in a now-deleted Instagram post, writing, “Because a game of football is THAT IMPORTANT.”

“Leaving families to face the cyclone alone, with some having no support at all. I’m six months pregnant with two young kids in an area prone to flooding—disgraceful… Do better NRL.”

Wide World of Sports reached out to the Dolphins for a response, but the club chose not to comment.

Interestingly, no representatives from the Dolphins were quoted in the official announcement on Tuesday regarding the relocation.

Wide World of Sports also sought a comment from the NRL.

The Brisbane Lions were initially scheduled to unveil their premiership flag at the Gabba before facing Geelong, but Neale noted that concerns about the approaching storm overshadowed this event.

He expressed appreciation for the AFL’s decision but stated he would not have played if a relocation had occurred.

“My first thought on that would have been I wouldn’t have played; I’d have preferred to stay here with Jules and the kids, and we also have a dog,” the 31-year-old shared with Fox Sports.

“Unless they could have arranged for families to be flown out—something I’m not sure they could have organised on short notice—then I wouldn’t have left Jules [Neale’s wife] at home with our three-year-old daughter and our 10-week-old son.”

“I wouldn’t have played.”

Several other sporting events have also been affected by the storm, including the WPGA Championship at the Sanctuary Golf and Country Club in Hope Island, which has been postponed.

Neale acknowledged a sense of relief among the players, grateful they were able to stay with their families.

“I think that (relief) is the general sentiment here in Brisbane,” he explained. “It was the news we were anticipating for a couple of days.”

“I wasn’t well informed until Sunday, when I learned there was a cyclone approaching that could impact our Thursday game. It escalated from there. Just checking the weather maps and predictions for the following 48–72 hours, I believe the right decision was made. We will stay put for a few days, hope for the best, assess the damage, and then prepare for the match in Sydney—the grand final rematch next week.”