Leeds Rhinos’ boss Gary Hetherington confident Super League’s 2021 season will start on time

Cameron SMith is put through his paces at Kirkstall Road as Leeds Rhinos continue with their pre-season training. Picture courtesy of Leeds Rhinos.

The government has given elite sport the green light to continue, but training for Rhinos’ women’s, academy and scholarship teams is now on hold.

Championship and League One clubs have been advised by the Rugby Football League (RFL) to pause their pre-season programmes for the next two weeks and the Challenge Cup first round draw has been delayed, as has the publication of lower division fixtures.

The community game, which had been poised to resume this month at open-age and youth level, remains suspended.

WATCHFUL EYE: Head coach Richard Agar and assistant Sean Long keep an eye on Leeds Rhinos' players during pre-season training. Picture courtesy of Leeds Rhinos.

Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington is confident the new Betfred Super League campaign will kick off as scheduled in March, but director of rugby Kevin Sinfield admits recruiting from overseas has been made “more complicated”.

Rhinos – along with other Super League clubs including Castleford Tigers and Wakefield Trinity – began preparations for the 2021 season on Monday, at their Kirkstall base, just hours before new restrictions were confirmed.

Players are now being tested for Covid-19 twice every week.

Hetherington confirmed: “Elite sport continues, so the team will continue with its training.

Alex Mellor, left, takes a breather from working out on some weights during Leeds Rhinos' pre-season training. Picture courtesy of Leeds Rhinos.

“The players get tested every week anyway and they will continue to train in their bubble. Kirkstall is a Covid-secure centre.

“Headingley is effectively closed down anyway, but there will be some essential services where it is not possible to work from home, for example the ticket office.”

Games were played behind closed doors when Super League resumed last August and there have been no matches in front of fans for 10 months.

Hetherington had been hopeful crowds would be allowed back from the start of the 2021 campaign, but that is now in doubt.

Rhyse Martin limbers up during the latest Leeds Rhinos' pre-season training session at Kirkstall Road. Picture courtesy of Leeds Rhinos.

He stressed: “We are awaiting word from the RFL and Super League in terms of the impact of this and possible changes, but the season is due to start in the middle of March and I would not anticipate any change to that.”

Rhinos trained as planned yesterday on day two of pre-season, when the players took part in their first field session of the new year and Sinfield added: “There was a little bit of uncertainty [on Monday evening] when the first announcement went out.

“But we then met and talked it through and we will just crack on until we are told otherwise.

“The lads are happy to be back, we know how difficult it is going to be – we know how tough it is for people out there – but we have got our jobs to do and we will try and do it the best we can.”

OPTIMISTIC: Leeds Rhinos' chief executive Gary Hetherington. Picture: Gary Longbottom.

England’s third national lockdown could have a bearing on Rhinos’ plans to recruit another player for the coming season. Squad number 19 has been left vacant, but Sinfield admitted: “Going back into lockdown does complicate things.

“If you are looking overseas, potential recruits don’t necessarily want to come and face such a difficult set of restrictions.

“But we have got a number of options we are working through and we will make sure we get the right fit and the right one that balances out all the different requirements we need to meet.”

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