'Rocked' - Hunslet boss worried about 2021 campaign after pre-season pause

Hunslet have been “rocked” by the latest lockdown which has forced them to put pre-season on hold, coach Gary Thornton says.
Hunslet's squad, including recruit Niall Walker, have had to put pre-season on hold.Hunslet's squad, including recruit Niall Walker, have had to put pre-season on hold.
Hunslet's squad, including recruit Niall Walker, have had to put pre-season on hold.

Betfred Super League clubs are allowed to continue under an exemption for elite sport, but the Rugby Football League (RFL) has advised those in the Championship and League One to “pause their pre-season training programmes for the next two weeks, in recognition of the national crisis and with more than seven weeks until the scheduled start of the 2021 season”.

Hunslet began preparations for the new League One campaign last month and Thornton said of the lockdown: “It has rocked us a bit, we were gearing towards the early rounds of the Challenge Cup starting in March.

“Everything has been thrown into confusion now.”

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A meeting between clubs and the RFL is due to take place next week and a resumption of pre-season will hinge on whether the government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) classifies the lower divisions as ‘elite’.

“That’s what we are waiting for,” Thornton said.

“If it is [classed as elite] we will have to resume where we left off - if not, I don’t know what the plans are.

“I think ultimately the decision will be made based on the outcome of conversations with the DCMS.”

The timing of the new lockdown was hard on Hunslet, a supporter-run club, who had worked hard to put return to training protocols in place in December.

Thornton admitted the latest uncertainty is “worrying”.

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He said: “We had three really good weeks, then we broke up for Christmas and we were ready to pick everything up in the new year.

“Now we don’t know where we stand or what will happen with the season in terms of start date and what the format will look like.

“Because of the World Cup, the season will have to finish in October.

“The further they put the start date back, the less chance there will be of having a full season.

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“For me, it is only a meaningful season if you play everyone home and away, but we will have to wait and see.”

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