NRL players have accepted a pay cut and will all be back in training on Wednesday after the league vowed it would be "full steam ahead" to a May 28 resumption.
Just two rounds of the 2020 season were completed before the coronavirus pandemic forced the NRL to halt in March.
Now the competition is set to return behind closed doors, with Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) chairman Peter V'landys forecasting "all eyes" would be on the NRL.
Players have agreed a pay package that will see them guaranteed 80 per cent of contracted payments, the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) said.
The New Zealand Warriors trained on Tuesday and all other sides will now follow, initially in small groups before working as normal from next week.
V'landys said in an NRL statement that the league would closely protect its players, vowing: "Our players will be safer in the rugby league environment than they would be in the regular community."
With games to be broadcast from the moment the league returns, V'landys believes rugby league will have an opportunity to sell itself.
He said: "It is full steam ahead for the resumption of the competition on May 28.
"All eyes will be on the NRL as the only live sport on television. There will never have been more interest in rugby league than on May 28.
"Rugby league is part of the social fabric of so many communities. In these difficult times it will provide a tonic for so many seeking a form of normality during a period where nothing is normal."
He thanked players for "making significant sacrifices", notably the New Zealand Warriors and Melbourne Storm players who have relocated to New South Wales to allow the league to start up again.
V'landys said: "The New Zealand Warriors and the Melbourne Storm have had to leave their homes and their families and on behalf of all rugby league fans we thank them for that and we thank all players who will be living with stronger restrictions than current government health orders."
RLPA chief executive Clint Newton said players were "excited" by the prospect of returning to action.
He added: "Like many in our community, players will have changed domestic arrangements and an added weight of responsibility with time away from family and reduced payments – but one thing that won't be impacted is their effort on the field and their commitment to the game and its fans."
IOC dismisses 'categorically untrue' reports that Tokyo Olympics will be called off
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has dismissed a report that the Tokyo Games will be cancelled as "categorically untrue."
Athletes from all over the world are due to head to the Japanese capital for a showpiece that is scheduled to be opened a year later than orignally planned on July 23.
The coronavirus pandemic prevented the Olympics from being staged last year and there have been growing concerns that it will not be possible for the Games to go ahead in 2021.
An unnamed senior Japanese government source told The Times: "No one wants to be the first to say so but the consensus is that it's too difficult. Personally, I don't think it's going to happen."
Yet Thomas Bach, the IOC president, this week told Kyodo News there is "no reason whatsoever" to believe the Games will be called off for a second time due to the COVID-19 crisis and said there is "no plan B" for the Games.
The Japanese government also firmly stated on Friday there is no truth in claims that it has concluded the Olympics will have to be cancelled.
A statement from the IOC said: "We refer you to the strong and clear statement that the Japanese Government made today, saying that the report is "categorically untrue".
The statement from the Japanese government said: "Some news reports circulating today are claiming that the Government of Japan has privately concluded that the Tokyo Olympics will have to be cancelled because of the coronavirus. This is categorically untrue.
"At an IOC Executive Board meeting in July last year, it was agreed that the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 would be held on July 23 this year, and the programme and venues for the Games were rescheduled accordingly.
"All parties involved are working together to prepare for a successful Games this summer.
"We will be implementing all possible countermeasures against COVID-19 and will continue to work closely with the IOC, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in our preparations for holding a safe and secure Games this summer."
Premier League announces fall in new COVID-19 cases as 16 test positive
The Premier League has announced 16 new positive cases from its most recent two rounds of coronavirus testing - a fall of 20 from the number of players and members of club staff who tested positive the previous week.
Due to a rise in infection rates across the league and in the United Kingdom at large, the Premier League ramped up testing to twice weekly between January 4-10, when there were 36 positives.
Across the two rounds carried out between January 11-17, there were 16 positives from 3,115 tests.
That amounts to an infection rate of 0.5 per cent, down from the rate of 1.39 per cent the previous week, when there were 2,593 tests.
Clubs received updated guidance from the Premier League this week, reminding them that "unnecessary contact" between players such as "handshakes, high fives and hugging" should be avoided, following government criticism of goal celebrations.
Aston Villa's games against Tottenham and Everton were called off over the past week following a COVID-19 outbreak that forced them to close their Bodymoor Heath training ground.
Villa are due to return to action at Manchester City on Wednesday, but Leeds United's scheduled meeting with Southampton on the same day will not take place.
Southampton will instead face Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup third round, with the initial fixture earlier this month postponed due to a number of coronavirus cases at the League One club, with their manager Steve Cotterill remaining in hospital.
Australian Open players forced into quarantine after two coronavirus cases
A group of Australian Open players and staff will quarantine for two weeks after two people on their flight to Melbourne tested positive for coronavirus.
About 1,200 players and staff are arriving in Melbourne ahead of the delayed Australian Open starting on February 8.
But one flight, from Los Angeles which landed on Friday, has led to two positive COVID-19 tests, a letter shared by players Pablo Cuevas and Santiago Gonzalez said.
"Unfortunately, we have been informed by the health authorities that two people on your flight QR7493 from LAX that arrived at 5.15am on Friday 15 January have returned positive COVID-19 PCR tests on arrival in Melbourne," part of the letter read.
"The chief health officer has reviewed the flight and has determined that everyone on board needs to isolate and will be confined to their rooms for the 14 day quarantine period."
The two positive tests were reportedly a crew member and a participant who is not a player.
Players were due to be allowed to train for five hours per day, but those on that flight will now quarantine for two weeks.
Victoria on Saturday recorded its 10th consecutive day with no locally acquired cases of coronavirus.
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