HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS head coach Luke Robinson has described the Super League schedule as “crazy” and “bonkers”.
The current twelve-team, 27-round regular season includes loop fixtures which means some fixtures are played twice, with sides facing each other up to three times.
The fixture list has come in for criticism from several coaches, as well as may supporters, for accentuating this by having teams play twice in close succession.
Robinson raised the issue ahead of Huddersfield’s trip to Wigan Warriors on Friday – a second meeting in the space of four weeks and the third clash between the pair this season.
“It’s crazy, the schedule. Rugby league is nuts,” said Robinson.
“You play some teams three times and some teams twice. You play some teams twice before you even play another team once. I can’t make head nor tail of it.
“I’ve got friends who don’t watch rugby league and when I explained to them that the league is determined at the end of the year when you play some teams three times and some teams twice, they can’t fathom it.
“They just think it’s bonkers. And let’s be honest, it is, isn’t it? You play teams twice within a three-week period, it just does not make sense.”
Robinson expressed further frustration at the uncertainty over the future make-up of Super League, with an increase to 14 teams as soon as next season on the table.
“Another thing that’s crazy is that we don’t actually know what the league structure is going to be and we’re only a few months away from pre-season,” he added.
“Whoever comes up has got to make signings pretty quickly but having ten quota spots (increasing from seven) will alleviate some of that pressure.
“There’s players in the Championship that are probably good enough to play Super League but they don’t want to, so to find 60 players isn’t an easy task.
“There is an argument that the more antipodeans we bring over, the fewer opportunities it creates for English players, but on the flip side it might bring the competition up and you’ve got to play better.”