Too easy to ‘blame the RFL’ in ‘rich man’s world’ – Peter Smith

THE DEFAULT position when anything goes wrong in rugby league is ‘blame the RFL’.
Michael Shenton narrowly fails to touch down against St Helens on Sunday. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.Michael Shenton narrowly fails to touch down against St Helens on Sunday. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.
Michael Shenton narrowly fails to touch down against St Helens on Sunday. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.
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There was a large element of that when coronavirus struck at Hull, leading to a series of consequences which are still being felt. Nine Hull players and three staff have tested positive for Covid-19 following Hull’s first game after Betfred Super League’s shutdown, a hefty defeat by Salford Red Devils at Emerald Headingley two weekends ago. They were Hull’s first positive results for quite a while.

Hull and Salford’s fixtures last weekend were subsequently postponed, along with Castleford Tigers’ Coral Challenge Cup sixth-round meeting with the Black and Whites which had originally been scheduled for this Saturday. Other matches last week had to be rejigged so Tigers, who had been due to play Hull, took on St Helens and Salford’s original opponents Catalans Dragons faced Wakefield Trinity instead.

David Fifita pushes forward in 
Wakefield Trinity's disappointing defeat to Catalans Dragons.
 Picture: Bruce Rollinson.David Fifita pushes forward in 
Wakefield Trinity's disappointing defeat to Catalans Dragons.
 Picture: Bruce Rollinson.
David Fifita pushes forward in Wakefield Trinity's disappointing defeat to Catalans Dragons. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.
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Wakefield had been set to play Saints on the Sunday, but instead found themselves in action 24 hours earlier, against the team they meet again in the Cup in two days’ time.

Is any of this the RFL’s fault? There may be things they could do differently, but the governing body have done their best to negotiate a tricky situation which, in the end, comes down to money, or lack of it.

A richer sport could have avoided these shenanigans by insisting teams remain in biosecure bubbles, such as that being used in Test cricket.

Players, staff and media are staying together in a hotel, isolated from the rest of the world and therefore the risk of infection. But that costs money and rugby league doesn’t have any. If it did, this entire season might have been scrapped, but the Sky TV contract – coming up for renegotiation – means the show must go on.

Salford's Kris Welham celebrates with Tui Lolohea after scoring against Hull FC. Hull and Salford’s fixtures last weekend were subsequently postponed after nine Hull players and three staff tested positive for Covid-19.
Picture: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.comSalford's Kris Welham celebrates with Tui Lolohea after scoring against Hull FC. Hull and Salford’s fixtures last weekend were subsequently postponed after nine Hull players and three staff tested positive for Covid-19.
Picture: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Salford's Kris Welham celebrates with Tui Lolohea after scoring against Hull FC. Hull and Salford’s fixtures last weekend were subsequently postponed after nine Hull players and three staff tested positive for Covid-19. Picture: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
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That is why all the rejigging took place last weekend, to ensure Sky had a couple of live matches to broadcast on each day.

Some clubs were more badly affected than others, particularly Wakefield who had a day less to prepare for different opposition.

But everyone in the sport recognises this is a crisis situation and therefore a case of rolling up sleeves and getting on with it.

The RFL and Super League managed to get four games on last weekend and keep Sky happy, which was a positive result.

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Since Super League returned, viewing figures are up – not surprisingly considering fans can’t get into games – and that strengthens the competition’s hand when it comes to thrashing out a new deal.

All previous tests for coronavirus were negative. It’s not possible for the media to go in and have a look – it would defeat the object if they did – but all reports from inside clubs suggest everything possible is being done at training and on matchdays to minimise the risk of infection.

But away from work is a different matter and there’s nothing to prevent players and staff mixing with the public at restaurants or coffee shops and the like.

Perhaps there should be, but players have already made some sacrifices – not least in terms of their pay – and the game has to treat them like adults.

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A stricter lockdown wouldn’t eliminate the risk entirely and what has happened in football and Australia’s NRL suggests some breaches of the rules would be inevitable.

But this is a season like no other; already unprecedented measures have been taken – such as redrawing the Challenge Cup and swapping fixtures at a few days’ notice – and more thinking outside the box may be needed. It is far from ideal to have only two teams in action this weekend, when clubs have midweek matches looming in September and October, including a full Super League round three days before the Cup final.

So why not make Cup ties this year winner-takes-all matches, with league points up for grabs as well as a place in the next round?

That would at least reduce some of the workload on players and perhaps create a bit of additional interest.

***

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