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Brisbane Broncos postpone training as they await swine flu results
By Stuart Honeysett and Dan Koch and AAP
June 10, 2009 Brisbane Broncos postponed training as they awaited results of swine flu tests which could see Friday's big clash with the Bulldogs called off.
Test results for the six Brisbane players who took part in the State of Origin series opener in Melbourne with the NRL's only confirmed swine flu Ben Hannant are expected to be known by Wednesday afternoon.
Broncos chief executive Bruno Cullen said he couldn't see Friday's match against the Bulldogs at Suncorp Stadium going ahead if any of his quarantined players returned a positive test.
Hannant's Queensland teammates Darren Lockyer, Justin Hodges, Israel Folau, Sam Thaiday and Karmichael Hunt were all quarantined on Monday along with NSW halfback Peter Wallace.
Most of Queensland's Origin players were quarantined for 72 hours with concerns this weekend's round of NRL matches could be affected if any of those players tested positive to the virus.
Media reports were saying Hunt had been suffering from flu-like symptoms, heightening speculation he would return a positive test for the H1N1 virus (swine flu).
"We don't want to panic processes in motion, but we're a bit concerned at the moment about the game on Friday night," Cullen told Sydney radio station 2KY.
"We're waiting on a further test from Karmichael to confirm or otherwise if he's got swine flu or not.
"If he has, our entire squad, that's the first grade and under-20 squads, will be put into 72-hour isolation and commence treatment with Tamiflu.
"We've got the boys at home now, we're not training this morning, we've got them on Tamiflu.
"If Karmichael doesn't come through with it then we can get back to normal but if he does that means the boys are out of action for three days from today."
North Queensland are also awaiting test results expected on Wednesday with their coach Neil Henry and fitness trainer Billy Johnstone quarantined after their roles with the Queensland Origin squad.
Hunt told The Australian on Tuesday night he had been battling flu-like symptoms since last Thursday and struggled through Friday night's loss to Melbourne at Olympic Park.
His condition worsened over the weekend and doctors contacted him on Tuesday night, telling him he had tested positive to influenza A and they believed he had contracted the H1N1 virus.
"I am actually starting to feel a bit better now," Hunt said.
"I was pretty crook over the weekend. I had high temperatures, getting the sweats. My whole body was really sore and I struggled to get to sleep. I had a pretty bad cough and sore throat, all those sorts of things you get when you have the flu. It was just like a really bad one."
Hunt said his girlfriend, father and two of his young cousins were also showing symptoms and had been forced into isolation.
"I don't think they are real happy with me," Hunt joked.
It is believed Hunt is the only member of the Broncos' six Queensland representatives to have returned a positive test.
The option of swapping Friday night's game with the Channel Nine St George Illawarra-North Queensland match on Sunday afternoon is out of the question, given the Dragons' involvement.
Having played the Titans on Monday night, there is no way Wayne Bennett's men will be asked to play on a four-day turnaround, particularly given the chaos which surrounded their game at Skilled Park.
The NRL had been faced with the possibility of cancelling Monday night's game between the Gold Coast and the Dragons due to uncertainty over how many Origin players and officials had been exposed to the virus in Melbourne.
The match went ahead, but in farcical scenes the Dragons' fullback and Queensland winger, Darius Boyd, was the only player placed into quarantine after arriving at the ground, while Queensland and Titans backrower Ashley Harrison was forced to watch the match at home.
Even more stunning was the fact that five NSW forwards - Dragons Michael Weyman, Justin Poore and Ben Creagh plus Titans Luke Bailey and Anthony Laffranchi - were cleared to play before later being placed in quarantine until Thursday.
"I haven't had any tests or anything like that," Harrison said.
"As far as I am aware it is sort of a case of if you start feeling ordinary go in and get the test done. But at the moment I am fine."
Wests Tigers captain and NSW hooker, Robbie Farah, is another to have been quarantined.
"He's not showing any symptoms. It's just a precaution," Tigers coach Tim Sheens said.
NRL chief medical officer, Ron Muratore, moved to quash the hysteria surrounding the illness, saying the strain that had hit Australia was mild and clubs should treat it as they would for any other player suffering from a normal flu in winter.
The results of other players who have been tested for the virus started to filter back on Tuesday night.
Sydney Roosters prop Nate Myles, who was Hannant's roommate in Melbourne for Origin I, was cleared, as was South Sydney and Queensland backrower Michael Crocker.
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http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25613838-5018866,00.html
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If Hunt tests positive will they have to isolate the entire Bronco's team?
Will the Bronco's forfeit the match or would the NRL reschedule it for midweek????
By Stuart Honeysett and Dan Koch and AAP
June 10, 2009 Brisbane Broncos postponed training as they awaited results of swine flu tests which could see Friday's big clash with the Bulldogs called off.
Test results for the six Brisbane players who took part in the State of Origin series opener in Melbourne with the NRL's only confirmed swine flu Ben Hannant are expected to be known by Wednesday afternoon.
Broncos chief executive Bruno Cullen said he couldn't see Friday's match against the Bulldogs at Suncorp Stadium going ahead if any of his quarantined players returned a positive test.
Hannant's Queensland teammates Darren Lockyer, Justin Hodges, Israel Folau, Sam Thaiday and Karmichael Hunt were all quarantined on Monday along with NSW halfback Peter Wallace.
Most of Queensland's Origin players were quarantined for 72 hours with concerns this weekend's round of NRL matches could be affected if any of those players tested positive to the virus.
Media reports were saying Hunt had been suffering from flu-like symptoms, heightening speculation he would return a positive test for the H1N1 virus (swine flu).
"We don't want to panic processes in motion, but we're a bit concerned at the moment about the game on Friday night," Cullen told Sydney radio station 2KY.
"We're waiting on a further test from Karmichael to confirm or otherwise if he's got swine flu or not.
"If he has, our entire squad, that's the first grade and under-20 squads, will be put into 72-hour isolation and commence treatment with Tamiflu.
"We've got the boys at home now, we're not training this morning, we've got them on Tamiflu.
"If Karmichael doesn't come through with it then we can get back to normal but if he does that means the boys are out of action for three days from today."
North Queensland are also awaiting test results expected on Wednesday with their coach Neil Henry and fitness trainer Billy Johnstone quarantined after their roles with the Queensland Origin squad.
Hunt told The Australian on Tuesday night he had been battling flu-like symptoms since last Thursday and struggled through Friday night's loss to Melbourne at Olympic Park.
His condition worsened over the weekend and doctors contacted him on Tuesday night, telling him he had tested positive to influenza A and they believed he had contracted the H1N1 virus.
"I am actually starting to feel a bit better now," Hunt said.
"I was pretty crook over the weekend. I had high temperatures, getting the sweats. My whole body was really sore and I struggled to get to sleep. I had a pretty bad cough and sore throat, all those sorts of things you get when you have the flu. It was just like a really bad one."
Hunt said his girlfriend, father and two of his young cousins were also showing symptoms and had been forced into isolation.
"I don't think they are real happy with me," Hunt joked.
It is believed Hunt is the only member of the Broncos' six Queensland representatives to have returned a positive test.
The option of swapping Friday night's game with the Channel Nine St George Illawarra-North Queensland match on Sunday afternoon is out of the question, given the Dragons' involvement.
Having played the Titans on Monday night, there is no way Wayne Bennett's men will be asked to play on a four-day turnaround, particularly given the chaos which surrounded their game at Skilled Park.
The NRL had been faced with the possibility of cancelling Monday night's game between the Gold Coast and the Dragons due to uncertainty over how many Origin players and officials had been exposed to the virus in Melbourne.
The match went ahead, but in farcical scenes the Dragons' fullback and Queensland winger, Darius Boyd, was the only player placed into quarantine after arriving at the ground, while Queensland and Titans backrower Ashley Harrison was forced to watch the match at home.
Even more stunning was the fact that five NSW forwards - Dragons Michael Weyman, Justin Poore and Ben Creagh plus Titans Luke Bailey and Anthony Laffranchi - were cleared to play before later being placed in quarantine until Thursday.
"I haven't had any tests or anything like that," Harrison said.
"As far as I am aware it is sort of a case of if you start feeling ordinary go in and get the test done. But at the moment I am fine."
Wests Tigers captain and NSW hooker, Robbie Farah, is another to have been quarantined.
"He's not showing any symptoms. It's just a precaution," Tigers coach Tim Sheens said.
NRL chief medical officer, Ron Muratore, moved to quash the hysteria surrounding the illness, saying the strain that had hit Australia was mild and clubs should treat it as they would for any other player suffering from a normal flu in winter.
The results of other players who have been tested for the virus started to filter back on Tuesday night.
Sydney Roosters prop Nate Myles, who was Hannant's roommate in Melbourne for Origin I, was cleared, as was South Sydney and Queensland backrower Michael Crocker.
------------------
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25613838-5018866,00.html
------------------
If Hunt tests positive will they have to isolate the entire Bronco's team?
Will the Bronco's forfeit the match or would the NRL reschedule it for midweek????
![[FKN-SIK]](/data/avatars/m/13/13251.jpg?1239671989){kind=avatar}
