The code's plans for the 2020 season resumption on May 28 is facing a new challenge as the Warriors have pledged that they will abstain from flying to Australia without a new pay deal, and now they have received uniting support from players across the competition.

The NRL are expecting government exemptions to be given to the Auckland based side on Friday which would allow the club to fly into Australia and be relocated in Tamworth before the season resumes.

Though it has been revealed by the Herald that Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith and other senior players backed its Trans Tasman rivals during a phone call and agreed to skip Monday's mandatory biosecurity and protocols briefing.

The meeting consisting of RLPA club representatives stated that without a new pay deal outlining how much the players would earn for the rest of the season, no player would return to training. 

Nine's Neil Breen explained that the meeting was centred around the status of the Warriors but also the NRL not having finalised their broadcast agreement with Channel 9 and Fox Sports.

"The players were promised by the NRL that by yesterday they would receive many things, including all the biosecurity details, all the new rules they had to live by; also, a new pay deal," Breen said.

"They were informed by the NRL that wouldn't be able to be given to them for about a week, because while they had an agreement with the broadcasters - Nine and Fox Sports - to start the season on May 28, they don't have commercial agreements with the broadcasters. They're toing and froing over how much money they will pay."

Breen continued to explain that the Warriors players are worried that without the guarantee of a broadcast deal there are fears they could be stuck in Australia. 

"... they want us to relocate to Australia on Sunday and go into quarantine for two weeks. We're not going to do that, we're not going to travel, because if the deal falls over at a later date, then we'll be stuck in quarantine in Australia with no reason to be there."

"The players are extremely concerned about the public perception of this move from them, but they have done it in solidarity with their brothers from the Warriors, who do not want to separate from their families and relocate in Australia without the NRL meeting its end of the bargain."

There is still a chance an agreement between the governing body and players before the Monday restart will be reached, though revising player payments can only be done after the NRL finalises its deal with Nine and Fox Sports.