The 18th Man Column: 'We've missed a trick by postponing Super League'

The season is postponed until at least April 3. Is that the right decision... and should it have been taken last week?

Robert Kenyon: I think we have missed a trick, we moan about having no exposure in the media and there’s a golden opportunity to be the only one left on the dance floor. We could have played the games behind closed doors, asked Sky to subsidise the clubs for loss of gate money and played games Thursday, Friday, two on Saturday, two on Sunday and one on Monday.

The players could have taken extra steps to isolate themselves as a squad, just like being on tour, for the next four weeks.

With the increase in exposure, viewing figures in the millions, we’d attract a whole wave of fans and sponsors and get a game-changing TV deal.

Alex Graham: It’s absolutely the correct decision to postpone the season, especially when we have a club in the south of France and one in Canada who along with the UK are different phases of containing the virus.

The situation started to become messy with Leeds refusing to travel and Catalans’ Remi Casty already deciding not to travel to the DW on Sunday.

The logical idea is to use the postponement to plan ways of recouping finances which will be inevitably lost during this period.

The sport came under some criticism for staging last week’s fixtures and questions were raised whether they took into account players’ health and wellbeing. Well I’d argue ensuring a roof over their head and putting food on the table is equally important to their health as their livelihoods could potentially be at risk in the coming months.

Jess Foxley: I’m gutted the season has been postponed to be quite honest.

Part of me feels like we should carry on as normal, I don’t feel we need to panic about anything and feel the RFL was under pressure to make a decision on this, but at the same time, when you are fit and healthy, you aren’t the ones that will suffer. We have to think about everyone at this moment in time.

People’s health comes first, without a doubt!

I’m just concerned how this will affect some clubs in the league.

It could be a big issue, I just hope there’s some contingency plan in place just in case anything was to happen. We just have to look at it as a whole, every club, player and fan is in the exact same position. Let’s hope we can get back to normal soon!

Jeanette Lusher: Coronavirus is a venture into the unknown for all authorities and leading bodies can only follow expert advice and guidance.

The decision to eventually postpone was a tough but inevitable one.

It brings huge financial implications for each club along with the possibility that rugby league may not survive as a professional sport should this postponement be extensive.

I feel it was the right decision to leave the postponement for one week.

It gave clubs another week’s income and time to prepare and organise.

It also afforded the sport the unexpected Sunday coverage of the Castleford-Saints game on Sky.

This opened us up to a new audience and the feedback would suggest that the new viewers were impressed with what they saw.

Had Sky been prepared to cover all matches then to play behind closed doors would possibly have been a solution to the financial headache all clubs now face.

Darren Wrudd: It was undoubtedly the correct decision to take. Hindsight is an exacting tool and the sport’s governing body saw fit to follow government guidance and allow the fixtures last weekend.

No doubt buoyed by financial pressures as well as being seen to proceed as normal until advice says otherwise. The players are at just as much risk from this as the rest of us, and we have a duty as a sport to protect them and the dedicated list of staff that it takes to put on games each week.

That in mind, a behind closed doors approach would of course sate the appetite of us fans, but it would be irresponsible to subject our sport to the risk for the sake of scheduling issues later on. Rugby league always leads the way in decency and welfare, so now is not the time to drop standards.

If it doesn’t resume on April 4, will they be able to fit all the fixtures in?

Robert Kenyon: We should move towards a shortened season like the 1995-96 centenary season before we moved the Super League. Cut out the loop fixture, cut Magic Weekend, worst case we play behind closed doors and the RFL/SL could ask for tax breaks, same with players wages, or even players take a temporary pay drop. We could even all chip in to ensure the survival of some clubs.

Alex Graham: Whatever is most financially viable is crucial. Personally I question whether the Challenge Cup should be cancelled for this season.

Even without a once-in-a-lifetime global health epidemic, the competition suffered a £300k+ loss when Catalans won the trophy in 2018.

Do we have conversations with Wembley owners to discuss extending the contract by a year if it means we aren’t billed this year?

An easy answer would be scrap the loop fixtures and Magic Weekend but those fixtures bring in much-needed revenues for clubs. I think the situation is too difficult to plan without negotiations between players, clubs, sponsors, broadcasters and event managers, hence the importance of the sport’s postponement until April 3.

Jess Foxley: I’m not 100 per cent sure how it’s going to work when normality is resumed. I’d like to think the fixtures can be fitted in but I can’t see it happening, there’s so much to think about in this case.

Some teams in the league are already behind in terms of games played and this is just going to make it even worse for these teams to catch up with the rest of the pack.

The season could be extended to an extent but for how long?

I guess it just depends on how long all this goes on for and how many fixtures will actually be missed. Playing behind closed doors is an option and it would be nice to see Sky televise every match if this was the case but, again, it’s something that is dependant on the situation at the time. It’s all so up in the air at the moment!

Jeanette Lusher: If it doesn’t resume then I would concentrate on the league season and Grand Final play-offs plus the end-of-season Ashes series.

I would therefore cancel the loop and Magic fixtures and just have clubs play each other home and away. I would abandon the Challenge Cup rounds too.

There is a duty of care to all players, and the prospect of playing more than one game a week repeatedly would be inconsiderate and it would give an unfair, advantage to the clubs with large squads and would certainly disadvantage the likes of Catalans and Toronto with regards travelling distance.

The fitness and freshness of our international players should also be a high priority.

Darren Wrudd: If, as I fully expect, fixtures cannot be played by the planned April 3 weekend, I feel the season will look very different come October.

Several contingency plans must be ready to go, dependant on just when the games can proceed. Proper planning will be required and this is where I am sceptical that the RFL will be competent enough in their preparations.

I would have a plan for every extra fortnight the game is not played. Including everything from pushing the Grand Final back to binning Magic and loop fixtures altogether.

The final decision can only be made once the go-ahead has been given to resume and this means that, without careful consideration and professional planning, the season would fall into a farce. Let’s hope not.

After George Williams’ impressive debut for Canberra, which English players currently in Super League would make the biggest mark in the NRL if he switched?

Robert Kenyon: Dom Manfredi, Morgan Smithies, Matty Lees. Three young guns and all three have that bit of mongrel in them which you need to succeed in the NRL. Sean O’Loughlin, James Roby and Chris Hill in their prime would have done well too. Out of them all now, I’d have to say Manfredi.

Alex Graham: Despite the noise made over the hill regarding Thompson and Walmsley, I think the best English prop in Super League is Liam Watts.

He’s big, agile, skilful and a tough player. He reminds me of Roosters’ Jared Waerea- Hargreaves in the sense he also likes a bit of the niggle, too. Traditionally English props always do pretty well and I think he’s perfect for the NRL.

There are always nerves with regards to suggesting an English back who do well Down Under, but Jonny Lomax is probably the best in Super League at unlocking even the strongest defences. Along with his professionalism I think he’d have the playing attributes to potentially crack the NRL.

Jess Foxley: I’m not sure! The NRL is a completely different kettle of fish. We’ve seen many players in Super League attempt a stint in the NRL unsuccessfully, but I’d love to see someone like Wakefield’s Tom Johnstone lighting up the NRL with his unbelievable finishes!

Jeanette Lusher: My choices would be Dom Manfredi, Joe Philbin, Paul McShane and Luke Thompson.

They give 100 per cent-plus in each appearance and they play with desire, urgency and tenacity. They are ultra-competitive and they never accept defeat.

Looking down the line within the Wigan squad it would be Morgan Smithies, Harry Smith and Ethan Harvard.

Each of these players has huge potential and all three are highly ambitious yet have their feet firmly planted on the ground. They each rise to the challenges afforded to them and display such maturity.

They are eager to learn and to progress so playing Super League, international and NRL would probably be their chosen pathway.

Darren Wrudd: We have historically struggled sending outside backs to Australia but I really think that we have some top-drawer talent in Super League at the moment. Names like Tom Johnstone and Tommy Makinson can finish tries in the corners with world class flair.

But personally my tip would be Liam Byrne. A totally uncompromising forward as tough as they come with the physicality that the Aussies love in their front rowers. Still only a young lad, Liam has a big future ahead of him and I would love to see him stay with Wigan for the next decade, but eyes are already upon him and he will have some big decisions in the next few years.