Hull FC owner Adam Pearson calls for ‘flexible’ approach to Super League season after positive Covid-19 tests

That has already been demonstrated when this weekend’s fixture list was essentially redrawn in a matter of hours yesterday after the East Yorkshire club suffered a series of positive Covid-19 test results.

Owners and chief executives from the competition’s 11 clubs met in the morning for crisis talks after Tuesday night’s shock news.

It was revealed five Hull players involved in Sunday’s 54-18 loss against Salford Red Devils had tested positive, in addition to a sixth who was not in their matchday 17 as well as two members of the coaching staff.

They are all now required to quarantine for 10 days and, though all Salford’s players and staff returned negative results yesterday, 11 of their players are now self-isolating for 14 days in line with the Government’s track and trace policy.

The rest of the squad and coaching staff have been put into quarantine ahead of a further test later this week.

It means the Salford fixture against Catalans at St Helens’ Totally Wicked Stadium on Saturday has been postponed along with Hull’s game versus Castleford Tigers at the same venue the following night.

But Super League have managed to reshuffle games to ensure four matches will go ahead over the weekend and, crucially, fulfil their broadcast obligations with Sky Sports televising all of them live.

However, the outbreak – just a fortnight after the sport resumed following five months of lockdown – is a stark reminder of how fragile the whole situation is as they try and complete the 2020 season.

Pearson has his own idea of how the Hull club may have seen such a widespread infection but it is still only a hypothesis.

“Where we feel it has come from is a domestic situation where a player’s child has been admitted to hospital on Friday,” he said.

“He’s gone to visit him – you would in that situation – and we think it’s been passed onto the father.

“The (non-playing) player’s come in for some treatment from the physio on Saturday before being sent home feeling unwell and it looks like it’s been passed on there.

“The physio’s then treated seven or eight players over the weekend. That is what it looks like without any formal investigation.

“It appears to be the most likely scenario. All three of the family have Covid.”

Looking at what happens next, Pearson continued: “It’s a tricky one as all families are different.

“We have other players whose children are in a vulnerable position as well so it’s a worry for all of them domestically now.

“The team, I would have thought, is now going to be stood down for two weeks and they’ll have to sort their domestic positions out as they will have to isolate. But it could definitely happen again and in any sport, any walk of life and at any time. It is just going to happen.

“It’s not a straight run unfortunately but we have to try and be flexible and work with it.

“From my own point of view, it’s a period of reflection for the next two weeks as we have our own personal situation in regards to health and at the moment it’s pretty serious.

“We’re going to have two weeks on our own in our domestic bubble and it’s not going to be easy.”

There will be calls for further testing at clubs who, currently, are only tested once at the start of each week.

For now, the reshaped fixture list for this weekend sees Wakefield Trinity – originally due to face St Helens – tackle Catalans on Saturday (4.15pm) before, as planned, Huddersfield Giants take on Warrington Wolves but at the later time of 6.30pm.

On Sunday, Saints will now host Castleford (4.15pm) while the Wigan Warriors versus Leeds Rhinos game – originally set for Saturday – will round off the weekend at 6.30pm.

Super League chief executive Robert Elstone said: “Throughout this crisis our priority has been to ensure we minimise any risk, and the postponement of this weekend’s scheduled fixtures involving Hull FC and Salford underlines that approach.

“It left us with another challenging situation, but it is a credit to the solidarity of the Betfred Super League clubs who agreed to adjust the fixture list at such short notice.

“We also appreciate the ongoing support and flexibility of our broadcast partner, and are pleased that we remain able to present four great Super League fixtures this weekend, all live on Sky Sports.”

The RFL are discussing what will happen with the Challenge Cup sixth round ties scheduled for Saturday week – when Hull are due to play Castleford.

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