Leeds Rhinos to play Hull on Thursday after scheduled opponents Castleford Tigers struck down by coronavirus

The East Yorkshire side stepped in after original visitors Castleford Tigers were reduced to only 14 fit players following an outbreak of coronavirus.

Today’s game replaces Rhinos’ scheduled away game against Hull in Betfred Super League on October 26/26. They will play Castleford then instead.

Hull were due to have a bye in this week’s round 15, but were asked to remain on stand-by in case such a situation arose.

Three Tigers players yesterday received positive test results for Covid-19 and six others were stood down under track and trace protocols.

Rhinos are nine days away from a Coral Challenge Cup final date with Salford Red Devils, at Wembley and players have been put on alert to avoid similar issues after a scare of their own yesterday.

Coach Richard Agar confirmed “a couple” of inconclusive results were returned by players in the latest round of testing, leading to several teammates being temporarily stood down.

The players involved were later given the all-clear and are available for this evening.

Any player testing positive between now and next weekend would be ruled out of the Cup final.

Others identified on track and trace as having been in close contact would have to isolate and also miss the final.

Agar said everything possible is being done to avoid the nightmare scenario of players being made unavailable for Wembley, but conceded it is “in the lap of the gods”.

He admitted: “I wouldn’t want to be the bloke to tell [players] they have to miss out on a showpiece final.

“Especially if you are track and traced from an opposition team.

“As far as I am aware, none of the guys stood down on track and trace within the game have developed Covid.

“It would be an extremely bitter pill to swallow if that was the case.”

So far, hooker Brad Dwyer – who has now fully recovered – is the only Leeds player to have contracted the illness.

Agar added: “In terms of what we are doing, we have asked the guys to be vigilant.

“We are really confident we have got a secure training venue [at Kirkstall] and we are very careful around the place.

“Our next Covid tests will be Sunday and we have got a game to negotiate first.

“We have asked the guys to be ultra cautious, just going home, coming here [to training] and putting yourself in as much of a bubble as you possibly can.

“We are very socially distant when we do our team talks and in our meeting rooms, everybody wears a mask and there’s hand sanitised everywhere.

“We are taking the utmost caution, but sometimes it is out of our hands.”

The idea of keeping the players together in a hotel before they travel to London in eight days’ time has been rejected.

“We have got a game so we are going up against another team and we can’t control what [Hull] do,” Agar noted.

“We are really confident we have got a clean and secure environment here.

“If it means from now until the next tests on Sunday they attend the game, stay at home and then come to training on Sunday, it’s only four days.

“But kids are going to school, their parents – if they live at home with their parents – go to work.

Hull coach Andy last said his side are “doing what needs to be done for the good of the game”.

He said: “It’s a huge challenge as Leeds are in good form and confident after last week’s semi-final, but we are coming into the game on the back of a hard fought win against Castleford. The players have been extremely professional and understood the unique circumstances.”Hull will be down to the bare bones following one positive Covid-19 test, with a further three players being stood down through track and trace protocols, plus a further eight players missing through injury.

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