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The NRL will play its 2020 season into mid-December if it has to but Valentine Holmes admits that could be a tough ask in a hot and humid Townsville.
North Queensland star Valentine Holmes concedes it will be tough for NRL matches to be played in a hot and humid Townsville late in an extended 2020 season.
The NRL is working through a number of plans to complete the campaign, when the shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic ends, depending on when players are able to return to the field.
Regardless of whether the competition is a full 25 rounds or shortened 15-week regular season plus finals, it will almost certainly run as late as mid-December.
December is traditionally Townsville's hottest month, with the average temperature above 30C in both November and December.
The average humidity sits at 64 per cent in December.
"If there are games in December, it's going to be tough for everyone," Holmes told Fox League.
"It might be OK for us up here because we are used to it, and maybe the Brisbane guys.
"But for guys coming from Melbourne and Canberra and Sydney it's going to be affecting them more.
"Maybe we will have to travel down there more."
Holmes is in his first NRL season with the Cowboys, but grew up in Townsville.
Irrespective of where the NRL reschedules postponed matches, they could be affected by unfavourable playing conditions.
Sydney experienced days where the temperature reached 39C in the city and 45C in the west late last summer.
Melbourne had days where the mercury tipped above 40C in that period, while Canberra and Penrith had six-day streaks of temperatures above 35C degrees at the end of 2019. NRL matches would therefore likely have to be played at night, creating a crammed schedule for broadcasters before the finals hit. EACH NRL LOCATION'S DECEMBER 2019 AVERAGE TEMPERATURE: Auckland: 22.3C
Canberra: 31.7C Melbourne: 24.6C Newcastle: 25.7C Penrith: 33.5C Sydney: 26.8C Townsville: 33.4C Wollongong: 24.4C Adelaide (State of Origin): 31.5C
*Source: Bureau of Meterology (excluding Auckland)
