Super League fixture reveal gives Hull FC’s Danny Houghton a taste of what is to come

Hull FC captain Danny Houghton has spoken of his relief at finally knowing when his side will be playing again.
Ready to go again - The Betfred Super League 2020 launch at Emerald Headingley Stadium - (l-r) - Josh McCrone, Stevie Ward, Lee Mossop, Chris Hill, Jacob Miller, James Roby, Aidan Sezer, Danny Houghton, Remi Casty, Michael Shenton, Weller Hauraki & Sean O'Loughlin. (Picture: SWPix.com)Ready to go again - The Betfred Super League 2020 launch at Emerald Headingley Stadium - (l-r) - Josh McCrone, Stevie Ward, Lee Mossop, Chris Hill, Jacob Miller, James Roby, Aidan Sezer, Danny Houghton, Remi Casty, Michael Shenton, Weller Hauraki & Sean O'Loughlin. (Picture: SWPix.com)
Ready to go again - The Betfred Super League 2020 launch at Emerald Headingley Stadium - (l-r) - Josh McCrone, Stevie Ward, Lee Mossop, Chris Hill, Jacob Miller, James Roby, Aidan Sezer, Danny Houghton, Remi Casty, Michael Shenton, Weller Hauraki & Sean O'Loughlin. (Picture: SWPix.com)

The revised Super League fixture list was released on Thursday, at last bringing the 2020 season “back to life” in the words of chief executive Robert Elstone after its shutdown in mid-March.

Hull’s first game back is against last season’s beaten Grand Finalists Salford Red Devils as part of a triple-header at Emerald Headingley on Sunday, August 9.

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As organisers try to ensure ‘greater control over the safety and well-being of our players, staff and match officials’, there will be three games at the same stadium the day before, too: Huddersfield Giants tackle Toronto Wolfpack, Castleford Tigers face Catalans Dragons and Hull KR take on Warrington Wolves.

St Helens’ Totally Wicked Stadium will hold two days of games the following weekend while the venue for a third round of triple-headers in the last weekend of August is yet to be decided.

Former Man of Steel Houghton, whose Hull side resume training on Monday, is simply glad to see a plan in place.

The hooker, 31, said: “In the first 10 or 12 weeks after lockdown, it was pretty strange; you were trying to train but had nothing to train for. It was alien to us all, training on our own, but we’ve had a goal to work towards recently and now it’s great to know who we’ll be up against first.

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“It will be strange playing in front of no crowds but it’s the same for us all and we’ll have to get used to it. It should be a good game against Salford and it’s a fresh start for everyone.”

Captain's call - The Betfred Super League 2020 launch at Emerald Headingley Stadium - (l-r) - Sean O'Loughlin, Weller Hauraki, Aidan Sezer, Chris Hill, Michael Shenton, Jacob Miller, Remi Casty, James Roby, Josh McCrone, Lee Mossop, Danny Houghton & Stevie Ward. (Picture: SWPix.com)Captain's call - The Betfred Super League 2020 launch at Emerald Headingley Stadium - (l-r) - Sean O'Loughlin, Weller Hauraki, Aidan Sezer, Chris Hill, Michael Shenton, Jacob Miller, Remi Casty, James Roby, Josh McCrone, Lee Mossop, Danny Houghton & Stevie Ward. (Picture: SWPix.com)
Captain's call - The Betfred Super League 2020 launch at Emerald Headingley Stadium - (l-r) - Sean O'Loughlin, Weller Hauraki, Aidan Sezer, Chris Hill, Michael Shenton, Jacob Miller, Remi Casty, James Roby, Josh McCrone, Lee Mossop, Danny Houghton & Stevie Ward. (Picture: SWPix.com)

In total there are 21 live games on Sky Sports in just 29 days next month, starting with the first triple-header of rearranged games at Headingley on August 2. The final two months of the season, though, see players’ workloads get far busier as clubs look to capitalise on the prospect of crowds returning again.

There is still no date or venue for the Grand Final but it is scheduled for the end of November.

On the fixtures, Elstone admitted: “It hasn’t been an easy process. We have needed the buy-in of our clubs and support from Sky Sports and we’re delighted all parties have pulled together to allow us to announce our fixtures and provide the focus for the remainder of the 2020 season.”

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Meanwhile, Wakefield Trinity have re-signed winger Liam Kay from Toronto Wolfpack.

Hull FC's Manu Ma'u is congratulated by Danny Houghton & Albert Kelly on his try against the Catalan Dragons back in March (Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com)Hull FC's Manu Ma'u is congratulated by Danny Houghton & Albert Kelly on his try against the Catalan Dragons back in March (Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com)
Hull FC's Manu Ma'u is congratulated by Danny Houghton & Albert Kelly on his try against the Catalan Dragons back in March (Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com)

He has initially joined on loan until the end of the season but has agreed a permanent deal for 2021 and 2022.

Kay, 28, has scored 146 tries in 151 first-grade career appearances and left Belle Vue in 2013.

CASTLEFORD TIGERS

AUGUST

Sat 8 Catalans Dragons N** 4.15

Sun 16 Hull FC N (A)* 6.30

Sat 29 Toronto Wolfpack TBC (H) 4.15

SEPTEMBER

Thur/Fri 3/ 4 Salford Red Devils A TBC

Thur/Fri 10/11 Warrington Wolves H TBC

Thur/Fri 24/ 25 Huddersfield Giants H TBC

Wed 30 Hull FC H TBC

OCTOBER

Thur/Fri 8/ 9 Leeds Rhinos A TBC

Wed 14 St Helens A TBC

Thur/Fri 22/ 23 Hull KR H TBC

Sun/Mon 25/ 26 Wigan Warriors A TBC

Thur/Fri 29/ 30 Huddersfield Giants A TBC

NOVEMBER

Thur/Fri 5/ 6 Leeds Rhinos H TBC

Sun/Mon 8/ 9 Salford Red Devils H TBC

Thur/Fri 12/ 13 Wakefield Trinity A TBC

** At Emerald Headingley

* At Totally Wicked Stadium, St Helens

HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS

AUGUST

Sun 2 Leeds Rhinos (Emerald Headingley) H 6.30

Sat 8 Toronto Wolfpack (Emerald Headingley) A 1.00

Sat 15 Warrington Wolves (Totally Wicked Stadium) H 1.00

Sun 30 Hull FC H 1.00

SEPTEMBER

Thurs 3/Fri 4 St Helens H

Thurs 10/Fri 11 Leeds Rhinos A

Thurs 24/Fri 25 Castleford Tigers A

Wed 30 Hull KR H

OCTOBER

Sat 3/Sun 4 Wakefield Trinity A

Thurs 8/Fri 9 Salford Red Devils H

Wed 14 Hull FC A

Thurs 22/Fri 23 Wakefield Trinity H

Sun 25/Monday 26 Toronto Wolfpack H

Thurs 29/Fri 30 Castleford Tigers H

NOVEMBER

Thurs 5/Fri 6 Wigan Warriors A

Sun 8/Mon 9 Warrington Wolves A

Thurs 12/Fri 13 Catalans Dragons H

HULL FC

AUGUST

Sun 9 Salford Red Devils A (Emerald Headingley) 1.00

Sun 16 Castleford Tigers H (Totally Wicked Stadium) 6.30

Sun 30 Huddersfield Giants A

SEPTEMBER

Thurs 3/Fri 4 Warrington Wolves A

Thurs 10/Fri 11 Wakefield Trinity H

Thurs 24/Fri 25 Salford Red Devils H

Wed 30 Castleford Tigers A

OCTOBER

Thurs 8/Fri 9 Toronto Wolfpack H

Wed 14 Huddersfield Giants H

Thurs 22/Fri 23 Catalans Dragons A

Sun 25/Mon 26 Leeds Rhinos H

Thurs 29/Fri 30 Hull KR A

NOVEMBER

Thurs 5/Fri 6 Toronto Wolfpack H

Sun 8/Mon 9 St Helens A

Thurs 12/Fri 13 Wigan Warriors H

HULL KR FIXTURES

AUGUST

Sun 2 Toronto Wolfpack H (Emerald Headingley) 1.00

Sat 8 Warrington Wolves A (Emerald Headingley) 6.30

Sun 16 Toronto Wolfpack A (Totally Wicked Stadium) 3.15

Sun 30 St Helens H 6.30

SEPTEMBER

Thurs 3/Fri 4 Wigan Warriors H

Thurs 10/Fri 11 St Helens A

Thurs 24/Fri25 Leeds Rhinos H

Wed 30 Huddersfield Giants A

OCTOBER

Thurs 8/Fri 9 Catalans Dragons A

Wed 14 Salford Red Devils H

Thurs 22/Fri 23 Castleford Tigers A

Sun 25/Mon 26 Wakefield Trinity A

Thurs 29/Fri 30 Hull FC H

NOVEMBER

Thurs 5/Fri 6 Warrington Wolves H

Sun 8/Mon 9 Catalans Dragons H

Thurs 12/Fri 13 Salford Red Devils A

LEEDS RHINOS

AUGUST

Sun 2 Huddersfield Giants H 6.30

Sun 9 St Helens H 6.30

Sat 15 Wigan Warriors N (A)* 6.30

Sat 29 Salford Red Devils TBC (H) 1.00

SEPTEMBER

Thur/Fri 3/ 4 Wakefield Trinity A TBC

Mon 7 Catalans Dragons A TBC

Thur/Fri 10/ 11 Huddersfield Giants H TBC

Thur/Fri 24/ 25 Hull KR A TBC

Wed 30 Catalans Dragons H TBC

OCTOBER

Thur/Fri 8/ 9 Castleford Tigers H TBC

Wed 14 Warrington Wolves A TBC

Thur/Fri 22/ 23 St Helens A TBC

Sun/Mon 25/ 26 Hull FC A TBC

Thur/Fri 29/ 30 Wakefield Trinity H TBC

NOVEMBER

Thur/Fri 5/ 6 Castleford Tigers A TBC

Sun/Mon 8/ 9 Wigan Warriors H TBC

Thur/Fri 12/13 Toronto Wolfpack A TBC

* At Totally Wicked Stadium, St Helens

WAKEFIELD TRINITY

AUGUST

Sun 9 Wigan Warriors N (A)** 3.15

Sun 16 St Helens A 1pm

Sat/Sun 22/ 23 Catalans Dragons TBC (H) TBC

Sat 29 Warrington Wolves A (TBC) 6.30

SEPTEMBER

Thur/Fri 3/ 4 Leeds Rhinos H TBC

Thur/Fri 10/ 11 Hull FC A TBC

Thur/Fri 24/ 25 Wigan Warriors A TBC

Wed 30 Toronto Wolfpack H TBC

OCTOBER

Sat/Sun 3/ 4 Huddersfield Giants H TBC

Thur/Fri 8/ 9 St Helens H TBC

Wed 14 Catalans Dragons A TBC

Thur/Fri 22/ 23 Huddersfield Giants A TBC

Sun/Mon 25/26 Hull KR H TBC

Thur/Fri 29/ 30 Leeds Rhinos A TBC

NOVEMBER

Thur/Fri 5/ 6 Salford Red Devils H TBC

Sun/Mon 8/ 9 Toronto Wolfpack A TBC

Thur/Fri 12/ 13 Castleford Tigers H TBC

** At Emerald Headingley

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