A Rugby League Players’ Association (RLPA) spokesman said a player who refused to be vaccinated had the option to sign a waiver in order to continue to train and be available for selection while their case was dealt with by the NRL.

The spokesman said the RLPA strongly recommended flu shots but believed players who refused should be dealt with case-by-case and that the vaccination was not mandatory.

The rugby league community appeared to be split down the middle by Cartwright’s stance as the majority of NRL teams returned to training on Wednesday.

Titans captain Kevin Proctor said Cartwright should be allowed to play once the NRL season resumes.

He said he did not believe teams would feel uncomfortable facing an opposition player who had refused to have a flu shot.

“I’m not going to go on the field and go, ‘I’m not going to run at him, he hasn’t got a vaccine’,” Proctor said.

“You don’t even think about that stuff. I reckon it is just stupid.”

NRL great Paul Gallen backed Cartwright.

“I’m not against the flu shot, but I just think if they don’t want to have it, they don’t have to have it,” he told 2GB’s Wide World of Sports Radio.

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“If they don’t want to put it into their body, they don’t have to have it.”

But Penrith legend Mark Geyer was adamant Cartwright should get the jab if he wanted to play.

“I respect he and his partner’s decision for his family, if they don’t want to get the kids vaccinated that’s fine,” he told Triple M’s Rush Hour.

“As for Bryce, I’m sorry but no flu shot, no play.”

Cartwright’s partner Shanelle justified their position on social media.

“People have the freedom to say what they like, just like we have the freedom to choose which medical procedures we undergo,” she posted on Instagram.

“But ultimately the proof is in the pudding. Our kids are a picture of health.

“They’ve never had an ear infection, never had a chest infection or bronchitis, they have no neurodevelopmental disorders or autoimmune disorders and are rarely ever sick.

“They’ve never had a round of antibiotics or any other pharmaceutical drug for that matter … As parents we do our best with what we know, for some, health comes in a needle and it works for them.

“What we’re doing is going seemingly well seeing the state of their health. So if it’s not clear, we’re not anti anything.

“We stand for medical freedom and the right to choose. Anyway, that’s my piece.”