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Sport in England to restart behind closed doors from 1 June, says government

and according to BBC news  this includes  rugby but for contact sport down to governing bodies 

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It's all about cost now, will RFL or SL or both fund the Covid tests needed. Simply put, if they fork out it'll be back sooner than if not.

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1 hour ago, HawkMan said:

It's all about cost now, will RFL or SL or both fund the Covid tests needed. Simply put, if they fork out it'll be back sooner than if not.

Also about how quickly Sky wants games on TV, I’m sure they will be quick to raise the point that they are paying for content. It could be that for the next few weeks they will have sufficient sport for their needs, but at some point, probably when the Premier League is over, they will be looking for SL to fill its part of the contract, then the clubs will need to figure out the testing part.

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I would imagine we need to take this very, very carefully.  I doubt we will be able to have crowds attend anytime soon and so surely there will have to be honest discussion about financial feasibility before we even begin to spend money on regular testing which, for RL, is an absolute must given the level of contact in the sport.  Given that we have needed a big loan just to keep the show on the road I just can't see how we will be able to afford the thousands of tests required to get started again.  However, the testing for soccer has been encouraging.  I think only 12 players have tested positive in four rounds of testing 1,200 people in total (staff and players) with no new cases in the fourth round.  I suppose the real test will be no new cases once full games are played again.  

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Clubs need to restart training this week , the nature of RL requires weight training in a gym , unlike football that is more aerobic , players will have suffered muscle loss and will need to get that back , start training now and they might just be ready for the end of the football season as has been suggested above 

If by August we haven't had a second spike ( quite possible looking at some of the idiots in the news ) then 3 months to run a mini SL of 9/11 rounds best played at neutral venues before the playing contracts expire 

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2 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Clubs need to restart training this week , the nature of RL requires weight training in a gym , unlike football that is more aerobic , players will have suffered muscle loss and will need to get that back , start training now and they might just be ready for the end of the football season as has been suggested above 

If by August we haven't had a second spike ( quite possible looking at some of the idiots in the news ) then 3 months to run a mini SL of 9/11 rounds best played at neutral venues before the playing contracts expire 

How long was it from the NRL starting training to resuming playing, wasn't it 3 weeks?

So, as I have read that sports including Rugby can resume from tomorrow behind closed doors do you consider those who wish to get the sport of RL playing again will want to wait for two months?

If we follow the NRL and resume in the same timescales and forsake all other competitions the SL season could be completed which there would be no reason with a full fixture list that relegation cannot be maintained, how promotion could be effected I don't know, but I should imagine there would be some interesting discussions  forthcoming.

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We will see if our proposed plans change as a result of this soon.

I still hold to the opinion that the 3 proposals for RL restarting in August is based on financials. Firstly the financial cost of mass testing that will be necessary for June restarts. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, the financial cost of playing behind closed doors. Many of the leaders of our game have pushed the October/November time for crowds to be allowed back too, with the suggestion being that highly attended fixtures are pushed till later in the year so that they can take advantage of crowds.

The physical restarting of RL is not the problem, a few weeks pre season and we're effectively as good to go as we could be.

The question then is how long can we go with no crowds, the suggestion is around 2 months. 

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1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

We will see if our proposed plans change as a result of this soon.

I still hold to the opinion that the 3 proposals for RL restarting in August is based on financials. Firstly the financial cost of mass testing that will be necessary for June restarts. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, the financial cost of playing behind closed doors. Many of the leaders of our game have pushed the October/November time for crowds to be allowed back too, with the suggestion being that highly attended fixtures are pushed till later in the year so that they can take advantage of crowds.

The physical restarting of RL is not the problem, a few weeks pre season and we're effectively as good to go as we could be.

The question then is how long can we go with no crowds, the suggestion is around 2 months. 

I think that's right, there isn't a need to rush and the testing issue looks cheaper the longer we wait. Seems also to fit in with Sky's needs, given they'll be showing wall to wall football in June and July, then RL will be a nice addition to cricket starting August while football has a mini off season.

Crowds do also potentially put Championship and League 1 back in play. Even 20% capacity will work for most clubs, if they can actually entice fans to come back. So maybe the season, including P&R, can be played out. 

It does all hinge though on there not being a second wave in the Autumn. If our return is based on crowds at least part of the time, and then it can't happen, it's potentially a major bankruptcy event we could have avoided. 

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I wonder if the lack of fitness and match practice will actually create more entertaining and open games.   There's another thread on here asking whether RL was better in the 80s and 90s when all clubs bar Wigan had part-time players.   I'm not convinced as I thought we peaked 'entertainment-wise' with the summer rugby of the mid-2000s a la Bradford and Saints (although defences were pretty week).  Good fun to watch though - Lyon, Vainakolo (sp) et al.

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10 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

How long was it from the NRL starting training to resuming playing, wasn't it 3 weeks?

So, as I have read that sports including Rugby can resume from tomorrow behind closed doors do you consider those who wish to get the sport of RL playing again will want to wait for two months?

If we follow the NRL and resume in the same timescales and forsake all other competitions the SL season could be completed which there would be no reason with a full fixture list that relegation cannot be maintained, how promotion could be effected I don't know, but I should imagine there would be some interesting discussions  forthcoming.

Toronto and Catalans Harry ?

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I think August looks most likely because 

1. Cost of testing seems to get cheaper over time

2 Sky will want us by then

3. Gives us time to figure out the Catalan situation (Toronto are stuck in the UK for the whole year, no games possible in Canada, we are still under a state of emergency and likely to remain so for some time)

4. Gives players time to get up to required fitness standard

What the season will look like will be determined by the broadcasters, but I suspect no P&R and no action below Super League.

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1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/may/31/catalans-toronto-rugby-league-relocation-problems-travel-restrictions

A problem to overcome, no good having the tail wagging the dog Gubby.

Toronto it seems, may have to make long term plans if they are to carry on.

Harry there is no problem that Toronto will not overcome on its way to the title.......none.

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16 minutes ago, Kayakman said:

Harry there is no problem that Toronto will not overcome on its way to the title.......none.

The words of Bob Hunter:-

Toronto had anticipated all 11 of their home games in their debut season in Super League would be 10,000 sell-outs at Lamport Stadium. Without that valuable stream of income, the Wolfpack themselves are facing a precarious future. “It’s depressing, to put it mildly,” says Hunter, while also conceding they may be based to play away from Canada for the remainder of the season.

“I don’t think we’d fly teams into Canada to play in front of an empty stadium, that makes no sense. We’ve looked at some Championship grounds to play our home games in England, but it leaves us with a huge hole in our income. We will do whatever we have to do for the integrity of the competition but it’s going to be at serious cost to the Wolfpack.”

 

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7 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

The words of Bob Hunter:-

Toronto had anticipated all 11 of their home games in their debut season in Super League would be 10,000 sell-outs at Lamport Stadium. Without that valuable stream of income, the Wolfpack themselves are facing a precarious future. “It’s depressing, to put it mildly,” says Hunter, while also conceding they may be based to play away from Canada for the remainder of the season.

“I don’t think we’d fly teams into Canada to play in front of an empty stadium, that makes no sense. We’ve looked at some Championship grounds to play our home games in England, but it leaves us with a huge hole in our income. We will do whatever we have to do for the integrity of the competition but it’s going to be at serious cost to the Wolfpack.”

 

Harry, your past, as a former successful businessman and inventor leads to me being truly surprised at your post!

We both know what is going on...like come on.....we know each other too well, we have been through too much together, for you to throw such an incomplete thought my way!

I'm climbing a giant black walnut tree on my property today.

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18 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

The words of Bob Hunter:-

Toronto had anticipated all 11 of their home games in their debut season in Super League would be 10,000 sell-outs at Lamport Stadium. Without that valuable stream of income, the Wolfpack themselves are facing a precarious future. “It’s depressing, to put it mildly,” says Hunter, while also conceding they may be based to play away from Canada for the remainder of the season.

“I don’t think we’d fly teams into Canada to play in front of an empty stadium, that makes no sense. We’ve looked at some Championship grounds to play our home games in England, but it leaves us with a huge hole in our income. We will do whatever we have to do for the integrity of the competition but it’s going to be at serious cost to the Wolfpack.”

 

Have to say that does not sound good. If SL gets going are we looking at a 10 team comp, given that Catalans could have quarantine issues? If so would it by definition be an interim comp, with no Grand Final?

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4 hours ago, Oldbear said:

Have to say that does not sound good. If SL gets going are we looking at a 10 team comp, given that Catalans could have quarantine issues? If so would it by definition be an interim comp, with no Grand Final?

Do you get the NRL broadcasts Oldbear? They are still playing for everthing a season is designed to give, there is still a GF to aim for and so all the intensity remains the same. 

If SL was to resume without a GF and more importantly no P&R to me there would be no reason, the competition to win a prize or the level of intrigue and intensity we saw last season with four clubs striving to avoid the 'jeopardy' was both entertaining and compelling viewing, isn't that why we watch sport for the intrigue and excitement it gives? A series a 'friendlies' would be like having a bath wearing a wetsuit, pointless.

Why a 10 team league? *Catalan yes they would have to decamp to the UK and that would incur a tremendous cost, but Toronto are already here, the player's will live at 'home' and if we are to play multiple games behind closed doors has as been suggested at a couple of select venues then most teams will not be playing on their own own pitch, so they will be no more disadvantaged than most of the clubs.

 

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Harry we get 3 NRL games a week, usually behind an expensive paywall called Sportsnet World (which is also where Super League resides), but currently these games are on the more accessible Sportsnet (in virtually all basic cable packages) as Covid has seen the channel searching for any live sport to show.

My comment about a 10 team league stemmed from the fact that if Catalans and Toronto need to play all their home games in the UK then that is going to cost them $$ and I debated whether either team will be willing to do that, especially as I can’t see this season resuming like the NRL is doing. I still think that the best scenario for Super League will be a shortened season running mid Aug to early Nov, that way you avoid impacting on the vital season of 2021 and the World Cup following that. 
One thing seems certain though, if Toronto is to survive then David Argyle needs to be even more committed to the cause, there will be no lifelines thrown by the Canadian Government, even in the form of relaxing our quarantine rules or allowing paid spectators so that games at Lamport could resume. The NHL has just found that if it wants to use Canadian cities as “hub cities” then all athletes will have to be quarantined beforehand, therefore I don’t see any Rugby League being allowed in Canada for some time, meaning that if the Wolfpack are to continue then they are going to need far more than a UK training base.

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