NSW Rugby League boss David Trodden believes more leeway should be given to country leagues like Group 4 being played this year, arguing the COVID-19 risk is significantly less than in Sydney.
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The plea comes as Group 4 chairman Ray McCoy announced that he would reveal on Friday whether the 2020 season would go ahead.
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But he admitted that the way things stood at present, it was "difficult to move forward with confidence".
Like all sports, the NSWRL was hopeful the state government would announce a return-to-play date for all community sport last week, but it only gave the green light for junior sport to resume from July 1.
That means everyone is in a holding pattern, with Trodden conceding it is difficult to envisage a viable season being run if it can't begin by July 18.
As of Friday, there was one active COVID-19 case in the 2340 postcode - which includes Tamworth.
Asked if country football should be given more leeway by authorities, Trodden said: "I do, for two reasons.
"One is the community benefit aspect, but the other is ... the risk profile, and the risk profile in regional areas seems to be significantly less than Sydney.
"The logic would say there's not as great a need to restrict that level of public association as significantly in regional areas [as needs to be done in metropolitan areas], particularly in areas that haven't really had any cases of COVID-19."
He added: "The situation in regional NSW is a bit different to Sydney, because you're talking about fewer numbers in the crowd. And, therefore, those people are generally more well spaced potentially around the ground."
Trodden said the importance of sport for the morale of country areas was a factor authorities should consider.
The other thing which shouldn't be underestimated, he continued, was sporting clubs in regional NSW were the focal point of the community.
"There's so much additional community benefit to be derived from going to footy on the weekend, outside of the actual game itself," he said.
In response to Trodden's comments, McCoy said Group 4's "commitment has always been to protect our communities" for the virus.
"And the fact that there is still a risk of our players, volunteers and supporters contracting the COVID-19 virus, no matter what the risk percentage, is still our major concern," he said.
