Stevie Ward and Leeds Rhinos embark on Super League’s new normal

Temperature checks and social distancing were the order of the day when Rhinos began training yesterday ahead of their return to action against Huddersfield Giants on Sunday, August 2.

Giants and Hull Kingston Rovers, who play Toronto Wolfpack the same afternoon in the opening game following Super League’s coronavirus shutdown, are among other teams to have resumed training for the first time since March.

After four months of individual fitness sessions at home, just being back among team-mates was a significant step forward for the clubs involved, but Ward conceded there will be “teething problems” until players come to terms with new restrictions.

Team manager Jason Davidson was on hand to conduct temperature checks when Leeds’ players arrived at the club’s Kirkstall headquarters yesterday and there was no mingling before or after training.

“You get let in at a certain time, in a batch in the car park,” said Ward.

“Your temperature is taken and you are allowed in once that’s okay.

“You have to sign in and out and we can’t eat together, everyone has to keep apart and eat on their own.”

Ward admitted that makes the actual work more enjoyable.

“Everyone has a spring in their step when it comes time for training because you can be sociable,” he added.

“The lads are getting back into the swing of things; it is a little bit of a different swing of things, but it is happening.”

The biggest difference from before Covid-19 is in the gym, where players are used to working in pairs.

Ward confirmed: “There’s allocated space for each other and (players are training) in smaller groups. There’s not much partnering up in the gym and we are keeping our distance from each other in and around the place, unless it’s in the midst of training.

“There’s nice new decorations around the place of notifications to keep your distance and pathways you take around the spot so it is very different, but it will become habit soon.”

Ward, who is expected to join Toronto Wolfpack when his contract expires this winter, has been on the casualty list since Leeds’ loss to Hull in Super League round one, on February 2.

The continued after-effects of a head injury led to Rhinos standing him down from training and matches at the end of February and he revealed he is not yet out of the woods, though his condition is improving.

He said: “I am okay, I am able to do skills and stuff like that, but I am not in full training at the minute.

“It is very much monitoring it and hopefully I’ll be catching up with the specialist over the course of this week.

“I am able to go down and see him face to face, so hopefully I’ll have a bit more info’ from him.”