Pearce: Teams must master COVID-19 protocols for premiership tilt

The constant disinfecting of anything and everything.

The daily temperature testing, movement tracking and household screening.

The restrictions on visiting partners and family members, golf and surfing, even the change-ups to the morning coffee run.

Whichever team masters rugby league's strange new normal in 2020 will go a long way to a successful season according to Knights skipper Mitchell Pearce.

Newcastle will resume training on Wednesday after a comprehensive education day that went through the NRL's extensive biosecurity document, where all manner of restrictions and changes to players' everyday lives were outlined.

When play resumes from the NRL's proposed May 28 restart date, game days in particular will look markedly different with testing protocols and access restrictions heightened before players take the paddock in front of empty stands.

The Knights will start the restructured season as one of six teams with four critical competition points to their name, and Pearce says clubs that adapt best to the game's biosecurity measures will come out on top.

"I think the most disciplined side this year, that sticks to the rules and does the right thing will be the most prepared team going into games," Pearce said on Tuesday.

"As a group we're all committed, we listened to what's required and what's ahead of us. We all committed to it.

"We've earned [those four points] and we've got that advantage to start and we'd like to start as fast as we can and get out of the blocks.

"How does that work? I think the training and preparation needs to be great from as soon as you walk in the door to the first game to give yourself every chance to start fast.

"This year there'll be different curve balls with preparation than there has been in the regular season for however long I've been playing.

"I think the way you manage your game days, the way you manage your preparation mentally going into games without crowds will have a big bearing on how you play."

Pearce and the Knights enjoyed a 42-24 thumping of Wests Tigers on the one occasion they played without a crowd this year, and the veteran half said it was another factor that would change the dynamic of this year's campaign.

"We all love crowds, we all love atmosphere and I'd prefer that any day," he said.

"But there was something fun about it. It was a bit different, you could hear your own voice, you had to create your own energy and your own momentum in the game which we all know, in some games home crowd advantages can really help the decisions in some parts of the game."

Adam O'Brien's biggest decision when his team returns to training surrounds the No.9 jumper, with Connor Watson and Chad Randall in line for hooking duties.

Watson would appear to be the front-runner to replace Jayden Brailey, whose long term recovery from an ACL tear has seen him excluded from the 32-player squad that can attend Newcastle's training facilities.

Elevating Randall to the Knights' starting side may also be on the cards though to keep Watson as a bench utility, a role in which he made 11 tackle breaks across two 40-minute stints at the start of the year.

"I've got full trust that whoever comes into that hooker role will do a really good job," Pearce said when asked about the club's No.9 options.

"There may be some varieties to our game that were different to when Jayden was playing but footy's bigger than just one player and whoever slots in there will do a great job for us, I've got full confidence in them."