Super League must get its house in order to avoid shutdown

Super League has been forced to postpone two matches and rearrange the rest of the fixture list this weekend after six players and two members of Hull’s coaching staff tested positive for Covid-19 after their match against Salford last Sunday.

The news sent shockwaves through the game and Tomkins believes it could face dire consequences if the warning goes unheeded.

“It is worrying,” said the former Wigan and England full-back. “Hopefully, that’s the sort of warning that we needed, that things probably should change.

“The NRL have had a lot of success with the protocols they’re running at the moment so hopefully something will change in Super League.

“They’re a bit stricter on what people can do away from training and games.”

The NRL has enjoyed a largely uninterrupted run since resuming on May 28 and, despite the players earning bigger salaries in the Australian competition, Tomkins believes comparisons with Super League are fair.

“In the NRL, if your partner needs to go to work, they still go to work,” said the Catalans Dragons player. “I’m not saying everybody needs to employ a nanny and everybody needs to lock themselves away in a mansion.

“There are certainly things that could change in Super League – players and staff not going to restaurants, not going to pubs, not going on nights out and getting in close contact with people.

“People have to pay their mortgage every month but if Super League goes down, clubs will go bankrupt without doubt. There needs to be something put in place - which I think there will - which means we can make it as safe as possible.”