Melbourne Storm CEO Dave Donaghy has called on the rugby league community to work together to get the game through the coronavirus shutdown.
Three weeks to the day since the pandemic forced a stop to the competition, the pressure of the situation is taking its toll on some sections of the game.
Long-time broadcaster Channel Nine launched an extraordinary attack on the NRL for financial mismanagement, while critics suggested they were angling for a better rights deal .
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Speaking on SEN , Donaghy said in reference to Nine 's statement now was not the time to for league's stakeholders to be taking shots at each other.
"I've never seen anything like it," Donaghy said.
"I think that's probably the difference between Melbourne and Sydney at times.
"People get around you and they support you and they want to see you succeed and in Sydney it's a lot more transactional, more combative and our game is based out of there and that often comes to the fore.
"We see it with Nick Politis' comments over the weekend about wanting points taken off everyone."
Donaghy refers to the Roosters chairman suggesting that when the competition does restart, the points from the first two rounds are scrapped and all teams start on zero.
The reigning premiers just so happened to begin their campaign with two losses.
As for Nine , Donaghy said broadcasters had been a part of discussions with the NRL throughout the shutdown.
"It was a surprise the comments around broadcasters not being consulted, broadcasters have been consulted on the way through, I know that for a fact," he said.
"We're not the only ones that are being challenged.
"We're trying to get our industry back up and running in the safest possible way.
"I think we can all understand that there's some around us that are challenged from a revenue point of view and looking to do a better deal."
The NRL announced late Thursday that the competition would restart on May 28, though there are still plenty of questions to be answered.
Donaghy's Storm remain in the dark regarding where they will be based out of given restrictions on travel are still in place.
"We've got a few options. Our preference of course would be to stay in Melbourne," Donaghy said.
"We would need some restrictions lifted in that space but if they weren't to come we've got to look at alternative options.
"One thing we've said from day dot is we don't want to be relocating our players and staff away from their families for a sustained period of time."
