YEP Jury have their say on Leeds Rhinos’ Super League return and Toronto Wolfpack’s withdrawal

CHRISTINE KIDD

Having been watching the NRL games on Sky TV these last few weeks it will be great to have Super League back again on August 2.

Although it won’t be the same having to watch all the games on TV, at least rugby league will be starting again.

The first games were planned to be a triple header at Headingley with teams playing games that were postponed before lockdown began.

It will be interesting to see how teams get on when the games restart.

Teams have not played for 24 weeks and it will be the ones who gel together quickest who will fare best.

The Rhinos had a really good start to the season so it will be exciting to see if we can pick up where we left off. It will be great to watch a Super League live game instead of having to watch replays.

It is hoped that spectators will be allowed back in October so October and November are jam-packed with games.

No-one is sure what is going to happen now as Toronto, not unsurprisingly, have withdrawn from the competition!

GRAHAM POULTER

I’m so looking forward to the season resuming on August 2 even without spectators being allowed into the stadiums – that will be allowed to happen again when the time is right for everyone.

So until then let’s all just sit back and relax and watch our team play on Sky Sports. I’m hoping that Leeds can begin where they left off back in March, when Leeds were playing some entertaining and exciting rugby and were effective at both ends of the pitch, strong in defence and clinical in attack.

So come on Leeds, show us all what we’ve been missing over the last few months, it actually feels like years since we played.

Hopefully our full-back Jack Walker will be fit enough to take his place back in the team, even though Richie Myler had been doing an outstanding job in filling in Walker’s injury absence.

Konrad Hurrell was another player who was playing extremely well before lockdown as was Cameron Smith and everyone else as well. Leeds were playing as a team and were a pleasure to watch!

DIANNE HALL

Am I looking forward to the restart? Let me think. YES!

It has been a long time coming, and even longer than a normal “off-season”.

At least in a traditional off-season there is the odd international to keep us rugby league junkies interested.

This year has been very strange, and no-one knows what is around the corner.

I am looking forward to seeing how all of the other Super League teams fare as we’ll all be on an even keel.

There is talk of unrest in some camps and harmony in others.

Will the players still be fully committed even though they are on reduced contracts?

I am of the opinion that it will be business as usual, with the Rhinos surely one of the bookies favourites and that we carry on as we finished against Toronto Wolfpack way back in March.

Every club has suffered financially and will be hoping that fans can be allowed in as soon as possible.

Maybe to boost the coffers we could follow the NRL and utilise “crowdies” for a financial boost?

ADAM ANDERSON

I am very excited about the Super League season returning and getting to see our team back on the field.

Under the new rules in rugby league, I think our team will thrive from these and could be more entertaining.

Hopefully it won’t be too far away when we can be in the grounds and supporting the team.

It’s very exciting with the news that Sky Sports will have every game in August on live, so fans will be able to watch all games.

This week has been a very bad week for our sport with the news that Toronto Wolfpack have pulled out of the league for 2020.

That was followed with the news that promotion and relegation were being cancelled for 2020, with the leagues below also cancelled.

It’s sad for the teams below Super League that don’t have any games until 2021 and it seems the players aren’t too happy about it either.

I hope the small autumn competition they are planning for the lower leagues helps them at least get some game time.

IAN SHARP

So we are back! Or at least I thought we were until Monday’s announcement, that the WolfPack are now pulling out of the rest of the season.

At the time of writing this, I am guessing that the RFL are going coming up with a plan “toot suite” to re-jig the fixtures that they have just spent months re-jigging! I for one don’t envy them the job, they have now got 11 days to sort out this shambles.

Many people will not surprised that this has happened, but with the exceptional circumstances that we have faced this year, it’s a shame for all back-room staff that it’s not been handled better by the upper management in Canada.

If everything gets figured out and we do get to kick off on Sunday August 2 against Huddersfield, I can’t wait to watch the guys back on the pitch, it’s just a shame we will only be cheering on at home, and not in the stadium with all the smells, and noise that a match day brings.

Let’s hope we start this half of the season off like we finished, and not like we started against Hull!

MATT FOWLER

At last there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Two weeks from now the season will be back under way.

With only a mini pre-season happening at each club it will be clear from the outset which players have looked after themselves the best during lockdown. Previous performances may count for very little, but Leeds will be hoping they can continue their good form.

Confidence was the big factor in Leeds’ good start and there is no reason why they shouldn’t still have that confidence when the season resumes.

Players may well be rusty and not match fit for the first few weeks but the silver lining is we will have a few extra bodies back who were unavailable when the season came to an abrupt halt.

Kruise Leeming, Tom Briscoe and perhaps Jack Walker may all be ready to go on the restart which will be a great boost, especially if the season requires midweek games as we progress.

My only hope is, we the fans, can get back to see the games as soon as possible.

Watching on TV will be nice but being back at Headingley is the real goal.

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