An AFL legend has taken a subtle swipe at the NRL as pressure mounts on the rugby league body over the decision to relocate Friday's round one game.
The league opted to move the Dolphins' game against South Sydney on Friday night as Tropical Cyclone Alfred bears down on southern Queensland.
The game was slated to be played at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium, but the capital city could be hit by the extreme weather event over the next 48 hours.
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The AFL postponed two of its Opening Round games in Brisbane and Gold Coast due to the cyclone, but the NRL instead opted to relocate its Friday night game to Sydney.
At least three Dolphins players have been forced to withdraw from the game so they can remain in Queensland and help their families and friends prepare for the cyclone.
The Dolphins have now offered to put families in a Brisbane hotel to ride out the emergency if they desire.
Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd praised the AFL for making the call not to forge ahead.
"We understand here that there are bigger things at play and football is very secondary this morning," Lloyd told Nine's Today.
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Asked if the postponement would give one team an advantage when the games are eventually played, Lloyd replied, "Everyone is in the same boat, so I don't think it will effect the sides too much".
Dolphins player Kodi Nikorima has opted to stay behind in Queensland after his wife took to Instagram to lambast the NRL for relocating the game rather than postponing it.
"Everyone feels apprehensive," Dolphins CEO Terry Reader said on Wednesday.
"Players' partners, staff partners – we're making sure we do whatever we can to make people feel more comfortable and put people's minds at ease."
Broncos great Sam Thaiday doesn't blame some players for deciding to stay home and help out.
"It's a little bit of calm before the storm at the moment," Thaiday told Today.
"Just the uncertainty around what this cyclone is going to do has forced some of those Dolphins players to reconsider and stay home with some of their family members.
"A little bit of an interruption here in Queensland."
A depleted Dolphins side will now take on the Rabbitohs in Sydney on Friday night.
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