The Knights kicked off 2020 with an encouraging 20-0 win against the Warriors at McDonald Jones Stadium, but now they enter uncharted territory after NRL officials introduced an indefinite stadium-lockout policy, which means no fans can attend games.

NRL chairman Peter Peter V'landys and chief executive Todd Greenberg held a media conference on Sunday to warn that they were considering "all contingencies", including the possibility of relocating all 16 teams to a warmer climate, such as North Queensland, or suspending the competition until further notice.

Knights coach Adam O'Brien congratulated his players after Saturday's win for staying focused amid speculation the game could be called off at the 11^th hour.

"Even myself yesterday, I was thinking: 'Are we still playing? Is there anyone going to be there?" O'Brien said.

"I don't have to go out and do what those guys just did for 80 minutes.

"So for them to get themselves mentally prepared, and then to turn up today ... I thank the boys and I was proud of them, because that's not an easy thing to do."

O'Brien said "everyone is in the same boat" but admitted that trying to "create some atmosphere for the players" on game day would be a challenge.

Knights skipper Mitchell Pearce said the absence of a crowd in Sunday's clash with Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval would not be an issue for his teammates.

"It is what it is," Pearce said.

"We're healthy, playing footy, doing what we love.

"We'll just adapt to whatever is put forward ... wherever the game is going into round two, we'll just turn up and do our job."

Asked how players would cope if the competition was suspended, Pearce replied: "It's not ideal. You want to be playing footy ... as far as I'm concerned, we're playing next week."

Knights forward Jacob Saifiti said "it's a level playing field" for all teams.

"Obviously it's going to be weird, a bit different.

"I suppose the first one will be at Leichhardt, so it takes their fans out of the equation. But really nobody gets any advantage, so we just have to get on with it."

In an extraordinary press conference on Sunday morning, V'landys and Greenberg outlined the 'catastrophic' impact suspending the season would have on rugby league.

The development came as sideline official Tim Roby became the latest person in the game to be tested for coronavirus after presenting with flu-like symptoms on Sunday, with results expected on Monday.

It's understood he has not been around the referees group since Friday.

Angus Crichton and Bronson Xerri are the only two NRL players to have been tested for coronavirus - and both were negative.

Already the NRL has dipped into its 'distressed fund' to the tune of $6.8 million, allocating $425,000 to each of the 16 clubs to assist with the financial pressure of closing games to fans from round two.

However, this is a meagre sum compared to the losses clubs are faced with from next weekend.

After two games are played in front of crowds on Sunday to conclude the opening round, the 2020 NRL will proceed as planned although league bosses admitted this could change by the end of the day.

All options are on the table including isolating players and staff and suspending the season entirely.

"I can't stress enough our game has never faced a challenge like this," V'landys said.

"The longer it takes, the more pressure on our financial viability.

"It could have catastrophic effects on us going forward.

"Our money will only last so long and once its extinguished we are in big trouble.

"An Australia without rugby league is not Australia.

"The government has to assist us in this crisis because it is not of our own doing.

"Rugby league... is people's escape, it is people's relaxation.

"And we have to do everything we can to continue the tradition of rugby league."

Without insurance or assets to produce income outside of the games themselves, V'landys said the NRL would not take long to collapse if the season was suspended.

"If it's a total closure, we haven't got long at all," he said.

"If it's one where we can continue to play the game with no spectators, that gives us a much greater flexibility to survive."

"It really depends on what we're faced with.

"If one player or ball boy catches the disease and we have to suspend the season, that's another scenario.

"I spent hours yesterday looking at all our accounts and all I could see was the word 'catastrophe' if this continues."

While refusing to reveal specific contract details of its $2 billion deal with broadcasters, V'landys said Fox Sports and Channel Nine have not put pressure on the NRL to continue playing.

However, he admitted the broadcasters will not need to pay if games are cancelled.

The NRL has commissioned biosecurity and pandemic experts to advise the governing body and said it would play on until they were told to do otherwise.

North Queensland captain Michael Morgan has already expressed his preference to suspend the season, and Greenberg confirmed no player would be forced to play if they would prefer to isolate.

"We're picking up the phone to as many players as we can, we're having conversations with those players, we're explaining to them, like we're explaining to you today, some of those challenges," Greenberg said.

"No player will be forced to do anything that they don't want to do.

"We're trying to communicate with our players as best as possible, listen to their views as well, and explain to them why we're doing what we're doing."

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