Kevin Sinfield confident Leeds Rhinos are on track towards the top

After St Helens tackle Catalans Dragons next Sunday, the West Yorkshire club will face Huddersfield Giants in the second part of a double-header at Emerald Headingley to mark the resumption of Super League.

Of course, it was due to be a triple-header with Toronto Wolfpack taking on Hull KR but the crisis-torn Canadian club’s controversial late decision to withdraw from the 2020 competition has changed matters somewhat.

Since Monday’s shock news, Wolfpack players have been offered around rival Super League clubs.

However, Leeds – who defeated Toronto as they won four of their opening five games before coronavirus shut the sport down in March – are not expected to make any imminent moves.

Sinfield conceded they were “exploring” some options but has been impressed with how the current squad, gradually revamped since he came into the role when the playing side was in disarray in July, 2018, is operating under head coach Richard Agar.

“We’re trying to be smart,” he said, having already announced the club expect to lose £4m over the next 18 months due to the pandemic and seen players and staff accept pay cuts.

“I’ve worked really closely with Gary (Hetherington) and Nigel Chambers, our financial director, and are trying to plan a path through that makes sure the club is in good financial state but we’re also not affecting performance.

“And that is a really tough balancing act especially considering the last couple of years.

“I always saw this as a three-year fix-up and I’m probably really conscious that we are getting closer and closer on the field and I want us to really push on with that momentum.

“Internally, everybody wants the best side we can put out and performances back to where they should be and competing for trophies but we’re doing our absolute best in the circumstances.

“Yes, we are starting to look at recruitment and retention.

“Philosophically, we took a step back, certainly from recruitment, throughout this (lockdown) period.

“We just felt it was the wrong thing to do and there’s a realisation that at some point it could bite us on the backside.

“But I think what we’ve got at the minute is a real trust, honesty and respect between the rugby group – the players and the staff – and that was a big driver for me: that we were all honest and straight and we can respect each other.

“I feel we have been able to keep that and it’s really important.”

With that in mind, and after such a necessary period of transition since the last of their eight Grand Final wins in 2017, Rhinos hope to make a big impression when they do resume.

After next Sunday, Headingley will also host the first full round of fixtures over the weekend of August 8-9, Agar’s side rounding the action off against champions St Helens.

Sinfield, 39, is proud of the manner in which the club has prepared itself to accommodate all of Super League especially given the nature of the current predicament.

“Everyone in every sport and lots of businesses have had to change completely how they operate with protocols for just coming into work having had to change,” he said.

“It’s very, very complex – especially with biosecurity with the training ground and obviously with Headingley being one of the venues – just trying to make sure everything is in place so people can be as safe as they can be when they’re at work.

“That comes with its own challenges but I think some of the people involved at our place have been brilliant.

“Sue Ward (operations director), Sarah Tate (human resources), our doc Marwan (Al-Dawoud) and Jason Davidson (team manager) – those four really have put a lot of work in to make sure the place is fit and ready and safe as it can be.

“There’s been a lot of hoops to jump through, a lot of hurdles. I think the RFL have communicated as well as they can and are forever providing updates – it’s been changing every couple of weeks – but I think we’ve been pretty flexible and tried to get it just as good as it can be.”

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