As the day unfolded: Scott Morrison announces free childcare for Australians as nation's death toll hits 24

For years, State of Origin has been referred to as the jewel in rugby league’s thorny old crown. Given the truckloads of revenue it delivers, you can understand why. Now, in these uncertain times, it's the Hope Diamond.

NSW and Queensland players loom as lab rats as the game ramps up plans to play in a bubble or on an island or whatever in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

The NRL’s newly formed "innovation committee" reckons the Origin series can demonstrate to governments, pandemic experts, broadcasters, fans and the wider community that it can safely play rugby league in isolation.

If successful, if it can show that it can lock down 40 players and staff at a venue such as Townsville's brand new stadium, the NRL will then look at mobilising all 16 teams.

This is at the forefront of the committee’s contingency plans should the NRL be allowed to start again. The questions are whether it can — and whether it should.

Read the full opinion piece here. 

La Trobe University senior executives have cut their own pay to grapple with "a very significant loss of revenue" as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The university is already expecting to lose between $120 to $150 million in revenue this year, out of its budgeted revenue of $850 million.

Senior executives have agreed to take a 20 per cent pay cut between April 25 and July 3 to "share the pain", La Trobe announced on Thursday night.

"Of this, 10 per cent will be donated to the La Trobe Student Crisis Appeal, and the remainder will accrue as savings to the university budget," the statement said.

Read more here. 

All emergency federal laws made to the fight the coronavirus outbreak will be scrutinised to ensure they do not needlessly infringe on personal rights and liberties amid growing calls for the Morrison government to be more transparent in its decision making.

Eight legal and civil society groups on Thursday called on the Senate to establish a new select committee with broad powers to review and report on the government's response to the pandemic.

The federal government was handed extraordinary powers to make executive decisions and directions, circumventing parliament, following the Governor-General's declaration of an emergency under the Biosecurity Act in March.

The Senate standing committee for the scrutiny of delegated legislation on Wednesday agreed to meet and report regularly in the coming months to scrutinise all new laws made by the executive while Federal Parliament is not sitting.

Read more here. 

The NRL and the players’ union have struck an agreement on the financial measures that will be taken while the competition is suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of $24.6 million will be distributed to the players following meetings between NRL CEO Todd Greenberg and Rugby League Players’ Association counterpart Clint Newtown on Thursday. The interim agreement was also approved today by the RLPA Board and endorsed by players.

The deal will see players earn two months of wages and payments while the season is suspended. If the competition is unable to resume, players will surrender five out of 12 months’ salary.

Read more here.

Transport NSW is encouraging all customers to use contactless payments whenever possible, including when topping up Opal cards.

“Limiting the handling of cash and using contactless payments is one way we are supporting the commuting public and our front line staff to stay healthy,” a Transport NSW spokesman said.

This comes after their counterparts in Victoria today banned people from using cash to top-up their Myki cards at stations, only allowing them to use cash at self-service machines.

Sydney buses are no longer accepting cash.

“Limiting the handling of cash and using contactless payments is one way we are supporting the commuting public and our front line staff to stay healthy,” the spokesman said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has told Australians to prepare for our "new normal" to last six months, wanting to make clear there was no "quick fix" to end the spread of the virus.

Appearing on A Current Affair on Thursday night, Mr Morrison said he feels he is the only leader looking at a long timeframe for COVID-19.

"What I'm trying to do is make it very clear that those of who think this can all be done in a couple of weeks with the lockdowns as they call it, that's just not true," Mr Morrison said. "I'm the only, it would seem, leader in the world at the moment, which is talking about a much longer timeframe."

Mr Morrison said the six-month timeframe was based on early modelling that showed how Australians could navigate through the peak and "go through to the other side".

"That's why the whole world is working on a vaccine," Mr Morrison said. "Now on the other side of the peak of cases, we can obviously look at how we might ease restrictions and we have to be careful about that."