Manly’s clash with Brisbane on Thursday at Central Coast Stadium will be the first time limited numbers of fans will be able to attend a live game since the lockdown.

The first public attendees will be confined to catering areas within the venues. The exact details, including whether there will be a capped limit on the total numbers permitted into stadiums, are yet to be determined. The details will be worked through when the NRL submits its fan strategy to the government in coming days.
We are going to be treated the same as the pubs and clubs, ARL Commission chairman Peter Vlandys told the Herald.
We are very appreciative of the government correcting the anomaly. There has been an anomaly at the moment with pubs and clubs (allowing patrons) because racecourses are allowed as well.
Grounds like Bankwest have a lot of catering outlets, so they should be able to accommodate quite a few people.
The NRL and the 16 clubs want to reward the sponsors and members who have stood by the code during the coronavirus outbreak with the first opportunity to come through the turnstiles.
The development is a huge win for rugby league. Vlandys came good on his bold ambition to restart the competition on May 28 and will now have spectators start to return to one of the only professional leagues operating worldwide.
Parramatta will host their derby against Penrith at Bankwest Stadium next Friday, one of the most anticipated clashes on the rugby league calendar. The new venue has some of the best corporate sporting facilities in the country and can cater for up to thousands at a time.
While the initial trickle of fans will be limited to the corporate facilities at each venue, Vlandys is confident greater numbers will soon attend.
Hopefully we will have the public in the seats from July 1, he said.
If that target is feasible, the June 18 encounter between the Knights and Broncos will become the first game where crowd numbers of 5000 or more could be in attendance since the season restart.
The broadcasters have been televising games with fake noise for matches where fans are not able to attend. Simulated fan cheering will soon make way for the real thing if restrictions continue to be eased.
Adrian Proszenko is the Chief Rugby League Reporter for the Sydney Morning Herald.