Leeds Rhinos Netball will have to be adaptable this season says coach Dan Ryan

The 2021 season, the first to include the Leeds Rhinos, is scheduled to commence two weeks today with a bumper weekend featuring all 10 teams in one venue.

The latest coronavirus lockdown has left the start of the season in doubt, with no word yet on who Rhinos’ first opponents will be as a Superleague franchise.

Ryan, their Australian head coach and director of netball who has been overseeing preparations since the summer, is confident good news will soon arrive and believes everyone in the league needs to be versatile to the demands of the pandemic.

“The plan is early February is what they’re working towards but we haven’t had the finer details of whether it’s being pushed back or not,” said Ryan.

“We are forging ahead for early February and will adjust accordingly.

“The reality is we are all going to have to be agile, to be adaptable and willing to ride the wave.

“I’m sure there’s going to be instances where we go in and out of isolation, and all those types of things that are of our control.

“All clubs are going to have to be open, all clubs are going to work together and work with the governing body.

“It’s going to be a difficult time but if we’re not adaptable the season won’t happen, so it’s non-negotiable that we are.”

Rhinos have already had their own versatility tested. At the start of January one of their players returned a positive test for coronavirus as part of the weekly round of testing the league conducts on players.

They only returned to training last week, which for a team comprising an entirely new playing staff, has been disruptive.

“It’s good to be out of isolation and on a netball court again,” said Ryan, who sent his players away with individual programmes.

“The weekly testing protocol is a good step forward. When you face it yourself it’s pretty frustrating.

“We kept going, but it’s not the same and once you get back on the court you’ve got to rebuild again.”

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