This weekend’s Super League action has been left in serious jeopardy after eight members of Hull FC’s playing and coaching staff tested positive for COVID-19.
Six players – five of who played in their defeat to Salford on Sunday, and two members of their coaching staff all tested positive this week.
Both the Black and Whites and Salford have cancelled their training sessions for Wednesday morning as the Red Devils await their weekly test results.
But the news comes as a hammer blow to Super League with this weekend’s schedule, or at least part of it, now at serious risk of being cancelled after just one full round of the competition.
Salford were due to play Catalans on Saturday afternoon while Hull were plying Castleford in the final game of the weekend on Sunday evening.
But both games now appear to be in serious doubt, though there are no confirmed positive cases from the Salford camp.
All eight of Hull’s staff who have tested positive will now need to self-isolate for 10 days, which disrupts their preparations for their Challenge Cup sixth round tie with Castleford next week.
The RFL is now analysing Sunday’s match between Hull and Salford to determine how many players from each team will also be required to self-isolate under the test and trace procedures agreed with Public Health England.
The governing body say announcements on this weekend’s action, as well as the Challenge Cup, will be made immediately.
