RFL stand by their approval of switch for Huddersfield game

Huddersfield vanquished Warrington Wolves 44-4 on Sunday having benefited from a nine-day turnaround between fixtures.

The West Yorkshire club were supposed to host St Helens last Monday at the same time as Warrington faced Salford Red Devils.

However, with Huddersfield Town in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on the same day, they agreed with Saints to arrange for June 16 and the RFL accepted their request.

But Warrington coach Tony Smith labelled it “crazy and unfair” last week while Castleford chief Daryl Powell called it an “appalling decision” that created an “unbalanced competition.”

His side had played twice while Saints rested ahead of Sunday’s game at Wheldon Road although, in that instance, Castleford actually prevailed, winning 16-12 to open up a four-point gap at the top of the table.

The governing body, however, insisted last night that they were correct to rule as they did.

Asked by The Yorkshire Post if, in hindsight, with Warrington playing three games in nine days, they accepted they made a mistake handing an advantage to Huddersfield, an RFL spokesman responded: “If two clubs are able to reach an agreement to postpone a game and reschedule, the Rugby Football League will consider a request to move the game.

“Taking into account a number of factors that include disruption to supporters, player welfare and contractual obligations, the Rugby Football League accepted the request to change the Huddersfield Giants v St Helens fixture.

“The Rugby Football League also considered the possible impact on the next opponents of both clubs and made the decision that as both matches were due to be played on a Sunday, the six-day turnaround was sufficient time for preparation for their opponents on this occasion.

“The reality is that if any two clubs would like to rearrange a fixture to a mutually convenient date and time, then after taking into account all competing interests, unless there are good reasons for not allowing it, the Rugby Football League will usually seek to support them.”

This, of course, is all well and good, but the actual worthiness of a six-day turnaround has to be called into question when a side plays two games in four directly before that as did both Warrington and Castleford.

A six-day turnaround works fine in its own right between two fixtures, but not when it is part of three matches in nine days.

Meanwhile, the RFL have come under fire from a raft of Super League coaches for holding the double-header weekend so soon after a similar Friday-Monday Easter schedule, raising player welfare concerns. In this instance, though, Leeds Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington says the governing body cannot be blamed, insisting clubs agreed it and cannot backtrack.

The extra double-header was required to make room in the calender for England’s pre-season Dubai training camp, which, ironically, never materialised.

Hetherington told The Yorkshire Post: “For that camp to happen, there was a variety of options put forward by the Super League Executive to be considered including putting the season back a week.

“If we did that, then we’d definitely need a double-header. But, from memory, there was the option of playing on the Bank Holiday Monday after Wembley and having a round of fixtures then.

“There was also talk of withdrawing the bottom-four from the early Challenge Cup round and having a full round on World Club Challenge weekend, but, like with the Challenge Cup final, two clubs would not be involved.

“The clubs had plenty of time to consider the options and we voted for that change.

“It wasn’t forced on us by the RFL or Super League; we made the decision to start the season a week later and play that double-header. There is all this criticism now, but no one could come up with a different solution.

“We couldn’t play an extra week as the Grand Final was set in stone. Now, obviously, the Dubai trip was then cancelled, but it was too late then to change this.

“As it happens, I saw two games at the weekend – Castleford v Saints and Hull v Wigan – and they were both really intense, exciting affairs, as was the match between Salford and Wakefield.

“Our game against Leigh was poor, but the weather didn’t help and it was still tough and uncompromising. I can’t comment on Huddersfield, but three out of the five games were outstanding and having one poor game is no different to any other weekend really.

“We should praise those involved, not complain about something we all agreed on.”