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Leeds Rhinos: McDermott in call for Super League fixture rethink
Brian McDermott.
Regular mid-week matches could be a way of improving the quality of Super League’s early rounds.
That’s the view of Leeds Rhinos coach Brian McDermott, who reckons it is now time for a debate over the competition’s early start.
McDermott believes kicking off in February leads to low-quality games at the start of the season and is bad for players, fans and sponsors alike – because pre-season training is carried out in the worst weather.
Only one Super League game has been postponed so far this year – Catalan Dragons’ home clash with Hull, which had been scheduled for last Saturday.
But other matches have been played on snow-covered pitches or in heavy, muddy conditions.
The Leeds boss would like to see Super League kick off a month later and he believes a return to mid-week rugby could make that possible.
Rhinos managed only one field session before last Saturday’s Stobart Super League game at Wigan Warriors, due to snow and ice.
McDermott refused to use that as an excuse for his team’s 20-6 defeat, but he admitted poor early-season weather makes it difficult for all teams.
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“You have to be a bit robust and just get on with it,” McDermott said. “But at the same time it is frustrating and it affects the quality of the competition when we start.
“If we are going to play 27 weekly rounds and we have to finish by mid-October, I can’t see a way round it.
“But it’s not good for the quality of rugby on show in the early rounds and that affects spectators, players, coaches, investors and sponsors.
“One answer could be to have two or maybe three spells when you play Sunday-Wednesday-Sunday.”
Since Super League began in 1996, the only mid-week games have been played over Easter, on bank holidays or if teams have had to re-arrange fixtures.
This summer 10 games will be played on Monday evenings, during the football off-season, at the request of Sky TV.
McDermott is confident modern full-time players could cope with three games in eight days on an occasional basis throughout the season.
“Everyone has got 30-man squads nowadays,” he stated. “In my experience it is not so much the games that’s the issue, it is backing up in training.
“But I don’t see why you couldn’t have a Wednesday game for three periods in a season, then carry on with one game a week for the rest of the time.
“I’ve not looked into dates or anything like that, but it would probably mean we could start the season a month later, in March.
“I know the weather’s not perfect then, but at least the worst of the snow and ice and wet is over with by then.”
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 8 C to 21 C
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