Super League's return will be intense says Leeds Rhinos chief

Clubs could be back in action in August, following five months without any rugby.

Hetherington believes the opportunity to get injured players fit is a silver lining and described the resumption as “very much a restart of the season”.

He said: “Clubs are going to be coming back with full squads and very much raring to go.

“The players are really frustrated they have not been playing and we saw in the NRL when they got back it was really high octane stuff.”

The NRL returned at the end of last month with a new ‘six again’ law so referees restart the tackle count, rather than awarding a penalty, for offences around the ruck.

The initiative has been well-received in Australia where it has been introduced to combat wrestling tactics in defence and the Rugby Football League’s laws committee has recommended bringing it in here.

“It will be interesting to see if we adopt their new rules,” Hetherington said.

“I think the consensus is on the face of it it does appear to have improved the game as a spectacle.

“Everybody should be supportive of that, but we have got a bit of time. There’s no need to jump in in week one.

“We have got a bit of time to assess the impact and the possible unforeseen consequences that could come out of it.

“Certainly when the coaches got together I think the majority were in favour of introducing it, but the consensus was let’s have a good look at it over the course of the next few weeks.”

The NRL was only two rounds into its season when coronavirus brought sport to a halt in March, five games behind Super League.

Hetherington admitted: “There is an argument about introducing something part-way through a season, but my view is it is the same for everybody.

“If it improves the spectacle and the interest in the game, for both the tv viewer and the spectator, I’d be supportive of it.”

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