'It'll be very different' - Leeds Rhinos boss' warning as Super League countdown begins

The competition will resume, after a 140-day break, on August 2 when Rhinos take on Huddersfield Giants in the final match of a triple-header also involving Hull KR against Toronto Wolfpack and St Helens’ clash with Catalans Dragons.

Rhinos are hoping to resume organised training on Monday, July 13, giving them almost three weeks to prepare for their first fixture since the 66-12 win over Toronto Wolfpack on March 5.

Players trained alone, from home, during lockdown, but have recently been able to meet in small groups, on an informal, voluntary basis.

The season has been reduced from 29 to 22 rounds and instead of a top-five play-offs series, the Grand Finalists will be decided by knock-out semi-finals, with the championship game being staged at the end of November.

“It will be very, very different,” Agar warned of project restart.

“We’ve already had some protocols about what we can and can’t do around training.

“We are all going to have to adapt very quickly to a new way of working, certainly in the short- and medium-term.

“The way we prepare teams is certainly going to have to be adapted, but that’s the challenge.

“Given the circumstances of the comp’ - it has been shortened, there’s going to be some rule changes, we are going to have limited preparation - it is going to be a team that very much adapts that is probably going to come out on top this year.

“We’ve got some very different circumstances, but they are ones we are prepared to meet head on so we can get back out on the field and get going again.”

Rhinos’ players and coaching staff are on furlough and the club’s management are working through how that will be affected by the return to training.

The club are looking into the possibility of “part-time furlough” and coming off the scheme just before the game against Huddersfield.

“Given the amount of training we will be allowed to do and how we can do it, I think most clubs will adopt that in the short-term,” Agar said.

“Mini-pre-season has been mentioned, but I am not sure that is the case. We are going to have to heavily rely on our boys coming back in good shape.

“Some of our guys, as the rules have permitted, have been getting together in small groups to do their running while we’ve been off, but there is a concern with the massive amount of time we’ve had off.

“Strength is going to be an issue; some players will have put weight on, but generally it’s weight off that is a concern for us at this stage.”

Gyms, including the one at Rhinos’ Kirkstall training base, have been closed since March.

Players have had some equipment to use at home and Agar insisted: “They have been doing their best, given the circumstances they’ve been exposed to.”

He said: “We have got three weeks - and one of those is coming into a game - and that isn’t a long time.

“We are very much of the mindset we need to start building it up now.

“We are pretty confident the bulk of our squad is in good nick, but at the same time if someone comes back and they are not right and they need an extra week or two to build up their strength or get their running back, we wouldn’t take any risks.

“We wouldn’t put anybody at the risk of injury by playing them when they’re not fit. We think there’s a bigger picture and we are prepared to do the right thing from a health and welfare perspective to get them right to play in what is going to be a very condensed season.”

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