Bree Nikorima is six months pregnant and unhappy at losing husband Kodi for the NRL season opener. Photo: Supplied: Instagram
The NRL's decision to move the Dolphins-Rabbitoh's clash to Sydney has been slammed by Bree Nikorima, the wife of star half Kodi Nikorima.
Meanwhile, Lions premiership player Lachie Neale said he would not have travelled if the AFL had opted to relocate Brisbane's opening round clash against Geelong to Victoria.
The two major sporting codes have taken contrasting approaches to Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which is set to make landfall in south-east Queensland either on Thursday night or Friday morning as a category two storm.
The AFL postponed Thursday night's season opening clash between the Lions and Geelong at the Gabba and Saturday afternoon's match between the Suns and Essendon on the Gold Coast.
Meanwhile, the NRL made the decision to switch the Friday night Dolphins vs Rabbitohs game from Brisbane's Lang Park to Western Sydney Stadium.
That move has not been well-received by Nikorima's wife, Bree, who highlighted the issue facing families of the players who have been left behind to deal with the cyclone alone.
"Because a game of football is THAT IMPORTANT," she wrote in a now-deleted Instagram story.
"Leaving the families behind to ride out the direct line of cyclone alone. Some with no support at all.
"I'm 6 months pregnant with 2 young kids in an area that can flood, disgusting. Do better NRL."
On Friday, the Brisbane Broncos confirmed that its players flew out to Sydney early ahead of Thursday night's clash against the Roosters.
"Our thoughts are very much with the people of Brisbane … as they prepare for the next few days ahead," a Broncos press release said.
Lions star would have stayed home
On Thursday night, Neale told Fox Footy that had the AFL looked to move his side's clash interstate, he would have stayed at home with his wife, Jules, his children and his dog.
"I wouldn't have played," Neale said.
"I would have stayed here [in Brisbane] with Jules and the kids.
"Unless they were willing to fly families as well, which on short notice I'm not sure if they could have organised that.
If they were able to fly families out of town and we could've sorted out the dog, then I would have done it. But I wouldn't have left Jules here with our three-year-old daughter and an 11-week-old little boy.
"I wouldn't have played.
Neale added that he felt relieved that the game had been postponed.
"[It was] the news that we were waiting for and expecting for a couple of days, really," he said.
"I sort of didn't really know too much about it until Sunday, I reckon, and then we got told in our leadership meeting Sunday afternoon that there's a cyclone on its way and it could affect the game Thursday, and it sort of snowballed from there.
"Just looking at the weather map and the predictions of what lies ahead over the next 48-72 hours, the right call was made, I think, and we'll bunker down here for a few days and hope for the best and then see what the damages are and go from there."
- ABC
