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."
Real Madrid captain Ramos tests positive for coronavirus
Sergio Ramos has tested positive for coronavirus, Real Madrid have confirmed.
Ramos, 35, has been dogged by injuries in 2020-21, with several absences restricting him to just 15 LaLiga appearances this season.
His streak of bad luck continued on Tuesday as Madrid revealed the experienced centre-back is now isolating having contracted COVID-19.
The club have not revealed any further details relating to whether he is symptomatic or for how long he will have to stay away from the training ground.
However, as long as it is an isolated infection, this news will not directly impact Zinedine Zidane's selections as Ramos was already due to be out of action until the end of the month with a calf injury sustained on international duty in March.
Nevertheless, even without him Madrid have managed to pull themselves back into a title challenge, with Saturday's 2-1 Clasico win moving them up to second and just a point behind leaders Atletico Madrid.
Madrid will hope Ramos can return for the final weeks of the season and help secure the title again in what could be his final campaign at the club, with his contract expiring in June.
Los Blancos are also doing well in the Champions League, as they go to Liverpool for their quarter-final second leg 3-1 up from last week's first meeting.
Pochettino unlikely to risk PSG duo Marquinhos and Verratti in Bayern return
Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed Marquinhos and Marco Verratti are unlikely to start the second leg against Bayern Munich as Paris Saint-Germain look to reach the Champions League semi-finals.
Verratti, along with fellow Italy international Alessandro Florenzi, missed the first meeting between the teams in Munich after testing positive for COVID-19.
However, the duo have received the all-clear and are back in training ahead of the return fixture in the French capital, with PSG holding a 3-2 advantage at the halfway stage in the tie.
Pochettino told the media on Monday he is yet to decide on his line-up, with Marquinhos remaining a doubt due to a thigh injury.
"We haven't decided the team for tomorrow yet, but it will be difficult for Verratti to start," the PSG boss said in his pre-game news conference. "Florenzi will be assessed further tomorrow."
On Marquinhos' status, he added: "We will see how he feels tomorrow. In theory, he could be involved in the squad, so we will see.
"I don't think he will be able to start, certainly, but he may be able to be on the bench. We will decide that on Wednesday."
PSG knocked out Barcelona in the previous round 5-2 on aggregate, though were held to a 1-1 draw at home in the second leg following a resounding triumph at Camp Nou.
Pochettino is well aware that the tie with Bayern – who he made clear are the best team in the world – is much tighter, meaning his players must find the right balance between retaining their slender advantage and also posing problems in attack for their opponents.
"At home to Barcelona, particularly in the first half, we found it very hard to keep the ball, even with Verratti and Leandro Paredes in the team," Pochettino said.
"It is not about individual names but collective attitude. We have to have a different approach from the Barcelona game while understanding that we don't just need to defend but also to keep the ball to attack and hurt the opposition.
"This is the challenge that lies ahead, and once again we have a positive first-leg result to build on."
PSG have won all four of their previous games in which they have hosted the German side in European competition, while only three of the previous 50 teams to lose the first leg at home in a Champions League knockout tie have managed to progress.
Pochettino, though, is well aware of the size of the task the hosts face against the defending champions, with Bayern having gone 16 games unbeaten in the competition under Hansi Flick prior to the loss on home soil last week.
"The Barcelona game is the past, Bayern are the best team in the world at the moment so they will certainly make it difficult for us," the former Tottenham head coach said.
"We need the strength and ability to manage those moments, just as we did in the first leg in Munich.
"They are world champions who have won six trophies in recent months. We are the pretenders and contenders to win the trophy. We have to consider all the circumstances surrounding the tie.
"If we get through to the semi-finals, it will be a big achievement for the club. PSG want to win every competition we are involved in, but beating Bayern Munich, in itself, would be a big feat."
Tendulkar home from hospital after coronavirus stay
Sachin Tendulkar has returned home after the India cricket great spent close to a week in hospital following his coronavirus positive test.
The 47-year-old former captain revealed on March 27 he had been experiencing "mild symptoms", prompting him to undergo a check for COVID-19.
On April 2, he announced he had been admitted to hospital "as a matter of abundant precaution under medical advice".
Tendulkar, the highest-scoring batsman in Test cricket history with 15,921 runs, declared on Twitter on Thursday that he had left his hospital bed.
He wrote: "I have just come home from the hospital and will remain isolated while continuing to rest and recuperate.
"I would like to thank everyone for all the good wishes and prayers. Really appreciate it. I remain ever grateful to all the medical staff who took such good care of me and have been working tirelessly for over a year in such difficult circumstances."
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