Talking RL: How many more Covid cases can the season sustain?

When Hull FC were ruled out for two weeks, they took fast and decisive action.

And, on Tuesday night, when we first heard whispers Catalans had reported positive cases – scrubbing them out of their game with Wigan – the fixture was switched.

Toronto’s demise has meant one club gets a bye every round... but they have been told to be on stand-by for a Covid-related call-up. And like a good 18th man, Castleford – who had the bye this week – have stepped into play Wigan on Saturday.

Teams are buying into the realisation that these are strange times, that sacrifices will have to be made.

And it’s heartening to see.

But with two clubs already reporting cases – and matches postponed – am I the only one wondering if the season will finish? At the least, I question how many outbreaks it can sustain, given the fixtures come thick and fast from September. We’ll wait and see.

For their part, the RFL is doing its bit by issuing suspensions to players who break Covid-19 protocols. Two-week bans from all activities isn’t a punishment, as much as a precaution, to reduce the risk of the virus spreading and impacting on more game games.

Which is all well and good.

But to sideline Jackson Hastings for one day seemed laughable.

The halfback posed in a social media picture on August 7, next to someone (and not social distancing).

But it was only spotted on the 19th.

So his suspension was issued and back-dated to the breach... even though he played twice and tested negative, twice, in that period!

It seemed somewhere between pedantic pointless. But if those are the rules now, they're the rules. Let's see if they're policed to that extent until the end of the season.