Craig Fitzgibbon's first NRL game in charge of Cronulla won't play out exactly how he planned it, forced to swap GIO Stadium's touchline for his man cave after contracting COVID-19.
Fitzgibbon, who said he felt healthy, will have to watch his Sharks side face Canberra from his "downstairs bunker" and was not even sure what contact he would have with his players throughout the game.
Having caught the virus earlier this week, he told reporters it had been a roller coaster of emotions being removed from the side's preparations.
"The immediate one is that it's not right, I've been super diligent and definitely laying low," Fitzgibbon said.
"But then you realise pretty quickly that you can't control the situation and you've just got to make sure that you get away from everyone and then start to plan as best you can from a distance.
"Thankfully the staff are more than willing and able to help you out and it's all been it's been quite smooth to be honest."
With assistants Steve Price and Josh Hannay handed the reins, Fitzgibbon said staff would meet on Thursday afternoon to determine if he would be on the phone throughout the contest, or just pass on a message at the half.
"It can be quite difficult when they'll be sitting there at the ground with the game and then obviously sitting at home watching on TV, I miss a lot of the stuff that goes on in the background," he said.
"I've got to tell those guys to make strong decisions, obviously with some input will have a plan going into the game before it happens, but as you know, those plans can sometimes get turned on their head pretty quickly."
Fitzgibbon is also robbed of a chance to battle former coach Ricky Stuart -- who steered him to the 2002 premiership at the Sydney Roosters.
"When you're a player and coached by someone for so long, and we won a premiership together, you never forget that bond," he said.
"We've always stayed in touch, always spoken together ... forever thankful and it will always be always be a bond we'll share.
"We've got to butt heads for 80 minutes on Friday night, but as soon as that's over, it's definitely back to mutual respect.
"To be coached by someone of that calibre ... so many lessons and so many life lessons."
