Leeds Rhinos chief Gary Hetherington says win percentage as a ‘fair’ way of deciding Super League positions

WIN PERCENTAGE has been welcomed by Leeds Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington as a “fair” way of determining positions on the Betfred Super League table.
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The new method replaces points won, for this season only, as the competition comes to terms with the fact some clubs may not be able to complete the full league programme.

Six of the 11 teams have at least one game in hand and, with the regular season due to finish on November 12/13, time is running out to fit in postponed games.

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Win percentage is calculated as the number of wins divided by the number of matches played, multiplied by 100.

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

Catalans Dragons, who have played three fewer games than some of their rivals, moved from fourth to top after the new method was applied yesterday.

Rhinos – with two games to rearrange – remain fifth, Castleford Tigers are still sixth, but Wakefield Trinity have risen a place to ninth.

An alternative proposal was to award all unfulfilled fixtures as a 0-0 draw, with each team receiving one point.

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Hetherington said: “Everything is such a moving feast, the game is having to react to changing circumstances which no-one could have envisaged. So far, I think the RFL/Super League executives have done a good job.

Leeds Rhinos' Richie Myler scores against Salford. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.Leeds Rhinos' Richie Myler scores against Salford. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.
Leeds Rhinos' Richie Myler scores against Salford. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.

“This latest innovation is a very fair one and takes account of the current dilemma and the possibility some games may not get played.

“I think the league have covered all possible knock-on consequences and it is actually up to each club to make sure it does everything possible to remain as competitive as it can. I think this season’s final league table will be a reflection of the discipline and determination each club has displayed.”

If teams are level on points percentage, placings will be decided on points scored percentage – calculated by dividing the number of points scored by the number of points conceded and multiplying by 100. Should that fail to separate them, it will go down to the toss of a coin.

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Teams need to complete a minimum of 15 matches to qualify for the top-four play-offs and matches will only be postponed if seven or more of a club’s top 25 players - on salary cap value - are unavailable for Covid-related reasons.

Clubs can still choose to play fixtures in those circumstances.

Extra dates on the calendar – coinciding with the Challenge Cup quarter-finals, semi-finals and final – have been opened to fit in postponed matches.

These are September 17/20, October 3 and October 18/19, plus November 1/2.

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If the two clubs do not have the same additional match slot available, the fixture will not be rearranged.

The salary cap has also been adjusted for this season only.

Clubs can now play any player on their register – including players recalled from loan to other clubs – without impacting their salary cap, provided the player has a salary cap value of £30,000 or less;

If a player who has tested positive for Covid-19 is unable to return after the minimum isolation or return to play period, his salary cap value will be temporarily removed, allowing the club to sign a replacement.

Rhinos have had two matches postponed in the last week, but Hetherington insisted: “We’ve said all along we want to play every game.

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“One of the options was to extend the season into December, but that’s not popular so, if we are working towards a November deadline, there will come a point in the calendar when there’s not an opportunity to play a game.

“We can envisage that coming – and there’s the Challenge Cup to factor in.

“It is a real difficult one for the administrators to grapple with, but I think by making an early decision, there’s no suggestion it is biased in favour of any particular team, it takes account of what may be around the corner and I think they have done a good job in pre-empting all of that.

“Hopefully it won’t come to it and we’ll all play the 22 rounds, but there’s a chance that may not be the case and I think the league have dealt with that in a fair and equitable manner for everybody.”

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