A plan to restart the NRL competition on May 28 was announced on Thursday, after it was shut down late last month after just two rounds for health reasons connected to the coronavirus pandemic

Government restrictions currently prevent players training as a group

Some people, including former NSW captain Paul Gallen, previously suggested they may need four to six weeks back together, depending on how long the break in competition was.

"When they come together it will most likely be three weeks before that (May 28) as in group training, team training, and then back into the season," ARL commissioner Wayne Pearce said on Fox League Live.

Pearce, heads the NRL innovations committee, who earlier in the week were set to consider the bubble proposal that would have potentially involved relocating all 16 teams to a secure location.

"Three or four days ago we looked like we were going into a bubble," Pearce said.

"But things have changed, paperwork has come through for us to not have to do that."

Parramatta forward Shaun Lane had no issues with just a three-week lead in and felt the news the bubble proposal had burst would be widely cheered by the players.

"I think everyone is pretty happy the bubble thing that was talked about isn't really being considered now, which is a bit better for the players' welfare," Lane said on Fox League Live.

"I still feel fit, I'm ready to play footy at any given time, so three weeks should be sweet for me personally.

"We did have two and a half months to prepare for the season to get fit and strong, so that doesn't really just disappear overnight, it takes a while, and we've been continuing on training in the meantime."

The structure of the competition still has to be finalised, with the options apart from a full season including each club playing the other once over 15 rounds and the possibility of grudge or rivalry matches being added.

Different international and interstate rules regarding quarantine periods and bans on large gatherings are among things that will need to be considered before a final decision is made.

"There are a number of variables and particularly in relation to the Warriors Queensland and Melbourne,'' Pearce said.

"What that competition needs to have built into it, it needs to have some flexibility.

"If the Warriors for example were delayed by a couple of weeks in terms of getting over here then we have to have some sort of flexibility built into it, so that we can accommodate make up matches at some point."

Australian Associated Press