Davide Longo reveals when Featherstone Rovers players could return to team training

With the Government furlough scheme extended for the month of November, Rovers players are not likely to return to training until December at the earliest.

Championship and League 1 clubs are set to meet today (Thursday) to discuss a start date for the 2021 campaign.

Only Super League has been able to carry on amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, with the Championship and League 1 seasons curtailed.

With the situation surrounding the return of Championship rugby league constantly changing, Longo feels it best for Featherstone to work backwards from when the season can start.

“We have no real need to get the team in early because we still haven’t got a start date for next season,” said Longo.

“The only reason we were going to be bringing the players back in before this new lockdown was to help transition them back into normal life.

“Obviously, whilst the furlough is remaining for another month, we might as well hold off and look at a December start date or even January at this moment in time.

“It is that fluid, it is so hard to plan. Things just change weekly. We need to work backwards, really.

“We need the RFL to come up with a start date and then we can work backwards from what we feel would be a suitable period of time for pre-season.

"Even if we started in March, we could get the players in at the start of next year and have some friendlies in January and February and then it’s the start of the season.

“But until the RFL make that decision, we are none the wiser at the moment.”

Clubs might have to play the first month of the campaign behind closed doors, with current Government advice not allowing fans to return until April.

Longo added: “The RFL have got a very tough job as well because it is as fluid for them as it is for us.”

Longo feels playing without fans is a sacrifice that would need to be made in order to get the 2021 campaign up and running. Featherstone were unbeaten in league and Cup in 2020 before their season was cut short.

A March return would mean players have not stepped onto the field for a competitive fixture for 12 months and Longo feels a firm start date would give supporters, as much as players, a huge lift.

Longo added: “I suppose the pressure we are applying to the RFL is that we need to work towards a date. We need to give the fans a ray of light so we can say when the Championship is going to commence.

“If the first month is behind closed doors, then so be it. We all have to commit to it.”