Salford Red Devils are there to be beaten insists Leeds Rhinos’ Luke Gale

Last night (Thursday), senior players from each club had a Zoom meeting with the RFL to talk about what has happened over the last few weeks and see if we can come up with some more guidelines on what we should - and should not - be doing, especially when we are not at work.

Some games have already been postponed, including our trip to Catalans the week after next and we don’t want any more to go the same way.

The fixture list is crowded enough as it is and having more matches to fit in would be a problem for everybody.

On top of all that - and most importantly - there’s people’s health to consider and I hope the players and staff at Catalans who tested positive this week are all okay and are back to full fitness soon.

The RFL have done a good job, at short notice, of rejigging the fixture list and making sure the rounds continue, but if it carries on there will come a point when it’s a lot tougher to do that.

From our club’s point of view, we are looking to be really smart.

Not that we haven’t been before, but we have to be very careful in what we do away from rugby.

It is a tough situation, it is not like the NRL where they came out of lockdown and went straight into camp.

We’ve gone back into normal, everyday life but, if the RFL and Super League have to impose some new rules or restrictions to stop the virus spreading among players, that will be quite a wise move.

Having said that, I am not concerned about coming to training or playing matches and I don’t think any of the other lads are either.

Rugby lads just crack on and I have not heard one person say ‘I am a bit worried’ or anything like that.

As players, we just do what we are told.

I don’t worry about anything I have no control over and I have no control over the spread of Covid.

The only thing I can do is be diligent at my end in what I am doing.

The rest is in other people’s hands.

This whole situation is uncharted territory and nobody knows what is going to happen but, one thing is certain, we want to fulfil the season. That is what we are paid to do and it’s what we want to do but, from a players’ perspective, we just go week to week.

We have got Salford tomorrow and we are aiming to get back to winning ways.

That is something we can control and it’s what we are focusing on, rather than worrying about anything else.

I am sure the Salford players - and lads at other clubs - will be saying the same. The last time Salford played they were very good, against Hull and we know we will have to be better than we have been since we came back from lockdown.

St Helens blew us away and we weren’t happy with our performance against Wigan either.

That doesn’t make Salford a must-win game, but we want to put a strong performance in.

It might not go our way on the day but, if we can put in a great performance and we can all walk off the pitch knowing we have done our jobs, I will be happy with that.

If we do our jobs as we know we can, the game will be there to be won.

Salford are a good side and we are under no illusions. We know it will be tough but, hopefully, we put in a better performance than the last couple of weeks and we’ll see what that brings.

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Laura Collins

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