Wakefield Trinity boss says Super League's show must go on

Richard Agar, coach of Trinity’s opponents this afternoon, Leeds Rhinos, has suggested calling a halt to the regular campaign and expanding the play-offs from four teams to the top-six.

Rhinos will be playing their third game in seven days today and are back in action on Sunday when they meet Trinity again in a rematch at Mobile Rocket Stadium, Belle Vue.

It is already clear some clubs will not reach 20 games.

Fourth-placed Catalans Dragons still have eight to play, Castleford’s trip to Huddersfield Giants on Friday has been called off after Tigers reported 12 positive tests for coronavirus and Salford Red Devils have forfeited this weekend’s match against Warrington Wolves because they can’t raise a team.

Ending the season early would ease fixture congestion and Agar believes having more teams in the play-offs is fairer, under the new win percentage method of deciding positions on the league ladder.

Trinity, who will play their third game in eight days this afternoon, are out of play-offs contention, but Chester insists the show must go on, describing the prospect of not completing the full campaign as “madness, crazy”.

Chester said: “I’ve not had anything from Michael [Carter, Trinity’s chief executive] or the people upstairs, but we have worked so hard as a club to make sure we fulfil our obligations to Sky.

“With everything we’ve gone through, as a club, I would be really, really disappointed if they went down that route.

“At times we’ve had 11 people stood down, nine people stood down - we could very easily have said we can’t play, we’re not playing, we’ve got too many players out.

“We’ve not done that, we have fulfilled our fixtures.”

Chester added: “There was one game we had to call off against Leeds, but that’s a game we are picking up now.

“We have got 20 games to play in the comp’ and I think let’s get it played, let’s get it done.

“It has been a difficult year for everybody, but I would be disappointed if it finished early.”

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