We can help save the game by sticking together – Luke Gale

It’s nearly a month since we last played and I’m sure fans are missing their rugby as much as us players.

All the Leeds boys have been put on furlough and warned there will be pay cuts coming in sooner rather than later.

As I mentioned in the column last week, that was ‘a given’ and the boys are all behind it.

We know we need to save our game and stick together in these tough times.

The bigger picture – which we have to look at – is we want to be playing at the back end of this year and we want our game to still be there going into next year.

What has happened in the world is a catastrophe and we just need to stay strong and get through this tough time.

We are all for saving the game and whatever goes on this year, we know a wage cut will help keep our club going.

It is tough, nobody wants to be worse off, but we know we are a lot luckier than most people.

A lot of people have been laid off, but we will still have a job to go back to once we get through this, all being well.

Unfortunately, it looks like this lockdown is going to go on for a while longer.

We should have been playing Hull KR in the Challenge Cup this weekend and that’s now four games we have to catch up on.

We haven’t had any firm details, but I’ve heard it’s looking like the season will go on until November if we don’t get started soon.

That’s a shame because I guess it will mean there is no Ashes series this year, but we have to finish the season.

We realise, even if the campaign is extended by a month or so, we are going to be playing two or three games per week to get it all in.

It’s not ideal but the boys know what the situation is and we’ll just have to get on with it. It will be all right for the young kids and we’ve got loads of those in our squad.

I’m not so sure about us old fellas, I don’t know if my body will be able to take three games in a week – it’s a push at one – so I think Callum McLelland might be getting some game time!

But that’s what squads are for and I think most Super League clubs just want to fulfil the Sky contract, make sure all their corporate sponsors and the season ticket holders get what they pay for and see the season out. If we start in June or July it will be interesting to see if we get a mini pre-season.

Most teams won’t have done contact for three months and, at the moment, we can’t train together; everybody’s having to keep fit from home.

It’s going to be tough to just go straight back out and play, but I doubt there will be time for a pre-season as we’re already way behind where we should be.

It will be a unique situation because it looks like we’ll get just two weeks of training and then we’ll be back into the real business again, but – to be honest – that would suit the lads.

Nobody enjoys pre-season and the sooner it’s over with, the better – so a quick tune-up and then into the thick of things would be fine by me.

Everyone’s keeping fairly fit so I don’t think it’ll take much to top us all up and then we can get back out there. At the moment it’s a case of making the most of things.

We’re all still doing what we can from home and keeping in touch with each other via social media. Some of us have been learning new skills as well. My partner is a teacher and she has been going into school so I’ve been in charge of the kids this week, Betsy, who’s five and 16-month-old Peaches.

I did some home schooling the other day, which was mostly PE in the garden! It is basically what I would have preferred at their age, but Betsy is nothing like me, she loves reading and writing a lot more.

It’s nice to spend some quality time with them, so that’s one positive from this situation.

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