Multi-game venues are the safe way forward – Luke Gale

Then I logged on to Twitter…

We haven’t had any rugby in this country for 14 weeks and during that time all I’ve seen is people saying how much they miss our game.

Then we get a return date and people are still moaning.

I looked at the comments under some articles about the restart – which is the first positive news we’ve had in weeks – and almost every one of them was negative.

It was all people arguing among themselves.

To be honest, that drives me insane. I just don’t understand it.

The most important thing is we get rugby back and we do it safely.

As far as I am concerned, who plays who, or where doesn’t matter.

I’m not sure Twitter has got much worth any more, to me anyway.

It is such a negative place, but the negativity is not just on social media.

I have got a couple of friends who I see in the local shop every day.

They are Cas fans and they’ve been asking why are they playing at Leeds?

It’s not certain yet we will be, but does it really matter?

There’s not going to be a crowd for the first games so there’s no advantage.

I love playing at Cas, but being realistic, could you play behind-closed-doors games there during the pandemic with all the restrictions and rules there’s going to be in place?

It makes sense playing double- or triple-headers, but it has to be at a stadium that can accommodate six sets of players and do it safely. Headingley can do that and it’s a great stadium to play in.

I think every player in the comp’ will want to play at the best stadium and the one – or ones – that can meet all the requirements. If I was still a Cas player, I’d want to play at the best stadium.

I know and I understand the rivalries, but it’s kind of annoying.

Leeds have got that facility and, if I wasn’t a Rhinos player, I’d still want to play there.

To me, it just makes sense to have one ground being the hub in Yorkshire and another doing the same for Lancashire and if you do that, you have to pick the best venues.

It is a pointless exercise moaning about it. People will be saying it’s just because I am a Leeds player now, but I’d think the same even if I wasn’t.

When there’s crowds there it will be different. Cas are very good on their own pitch, with the fans behind them.

No away team likes going there, but if the stadium is empty I just can’t understand what everybody is moaning about. It’s not needed. Anyway, four weeks on Sunday and we go again, at last.

We’re back in full training the week after next and it is exciting. We’re stepping things up a little bit now and it feels like we are nearly there.

I’ve done a bit of running with Paul McShane and he looks in good nick so I’m looking forward to coming up against him when we play Cas. At Leeds, we are now training in small groups and I’m with the young boys, Mik Oledzki, Cam Smith, Ash Handley and Callum McLelland.

The end is in sight now and that has given everybody a lift.

It’ll be even better when we get back to full training and see the full fixture list, but it is good to start feeling like a rugby player again.

****

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. These are challenging times but the team at the Yorkshire Evening Post need your support more than ever in the weeks ahead.

While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you - wherever possible and providing it is safe for you to do so - to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Inevitably falling advertising revenues will start to have an impact on local newspapers and the way we continue to work during this period of uncertainty. So the support of our readers has never been more important as we try to make sure that we keep you connected with the city you live in during this time. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. We need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Our team of trusted reporters are working incredibly hard behind the scenes- from kitchen tables and spare bedrooms - to look at how we can do this and your continued support to the YEP will help to protect its viability in the days and weeks ahead.

For more details on our subscription offers please visit www.localsubsplus.co.uk/YEP, email [email protected] or call us on 0330 4033004

Thank you, Laura Collins, Editor