Todd Greenberg says the NRL is considering shifting games to one location as a way to keep the competition running while protecting players from COVID-19.
Fixtures will be played in closed stadiums from round two until further notice after the Federal and State governments recommended the cancellation of non-essential gatherings of 500-plus people.
NRL CEO Greenberg is determined to continue the Telstra Premiership season for as long as it's safe.
Playing matches in the same region, a la Magic Round which was held at Suncorp Stadium last year, is among many potential scenarios.
"Priority number one is to keep our players away from the disease, then trying to keep all players in one location is one way of addressing that," Greenberg told 2GB on Saturday.
"That comes with an enormous amount of challenges of course. But that is something behind the scenes we are planning for and we're doing some work on that.
"We're going to talk to the [ARL] Commission over the weekend about some of the options that are available to us."
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Greenberg said suitable locations are being looked at.
He couldn't place a timeframe on how long fans would be locked out of attending matches, saying the NRL is taking advice from experts.
"I don't think anyone can answer that question at the moment," Greenberg said.
"It's a question that everyone wants answered because what people dislike most is uncertainty in their life.
"None of us know when we'll be back in normal operating business. What we do know is we've got to try to take as many precautions now as we can.
"And if we do that and we can stop spreading the virus across our communities, then ideally we'll be back in business sooner rather than later.
"But all of those variables are ultimately in the hands of both Federal and State government and also the health authorities.
"We need to follow their directives and try to do the best we can in the coming weeks."
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Pressed on why the NRL is allowing supporters to attend the remaining round-one games, Greenberg said he discussed the matter with Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
"Basically the point he made to me was these are early precautionary measures," Greenberg said.
"We'll take some of the measures like limiting mass gatherings to 500 as of next week and depending on what happens with the process we may have to tighten those guidelines again across our communities."
As for what would happen if a player tested positive to coronavirus, Greenberg admitted the NRL could be thrown into disarray.
"Clearly that player and people around him will have to go into isolation," he said.
"That will certainly disrupt our competition, that's been the experience that's happened in overseas sports.
"Some of those competitions have then been suspended, some of those games have been rescheduled. We're looking at all of those implications."
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Cowboys skipper Michael Morgan said he would rather have the season delayed than play in front of empty grandstands.
Speaking after his side's 28-21 loss to the Broncos on Friday night, Morgan said he hoped the NRL would take the NBA's lead and suspend the competition for a period.
"That would be my preference, to postpone it," he said.
"You look at the NBA and the big sports, how they're doing it.
"But it's out of my control, we'll do what we're told, I guess."
However, Eels halfback Mitchell Moses believes the best option is to push ahead with closed stadiums.
"I think if you miss too many games – if you miss a Titans game or a team lower on the ladder and then you get a Roosters game that you have to verse twice in a year – I just don't think it's fair," Moses told Triple M.
"I'd rather just play in front of no crowd. But the fans are so important to our game and I think it will really test our competition to see how it goes."
