They should suspend the whole lot, it's only a game.

Can't see them doing that will call off all games.
Toronto have been in contact with Leeds and Huddersfield players in the past 10 days.

And Huddersfields games as the Wolfpack have just played them don't forget, indeed at least the last couple of weeks teams will have to be tested surely?

Only if they start showing symptoms. I honestly think that’s how they’ll deal with it.

At all costs they’ll try to keep the games going ahead and I understand why.

Obviously could be wrong, just get the impression they’ll deal with each case seperately unless players from several clubs are all confirmed to have the virus.

...or they've got a cold.

Why would RL be just about the only sport to keep going

Because they are following the Government guidelines.

Or maybe not enough fit players.

or it really suits them if the season is cancelled, therefore no chance of relegation

Or they are taking a global pandemic seriously

They're living in England, it didn't stop Cas and Saints yesterday or the cup games going ahead.

The 4 Toronto players that isolated themselves live in England?

Apologies, should have put staying in England.

Although it will be immaterial if they suspend SL and the Championship, I wonder what the protocol is for clubs that have players suspected of having the virus and if the comp was to continue, how long said clubs could / should postpone fixtures or, how many players suspected of having the infection allow a club to cancel / postpone fixtures. The answer to this may be just 1, as Leeds refused to travel to Perpignan for their game.
There will be much wider issues with Catalan, with much of France now in lockdown, I cant see them either wanting to or being able to travel in and out of France to play Rugby League.

Remi Casty has already said he isn't going anywhere, and I cant say I blame him.

In anything like "normal" circumstances that would be for the club to deal with.
As we are, I think that the RFL & SL will need to issue some guidelines and directives for clubs and players alike.

I wonder how many Rhinos fans travelled over to Perpignan for their postponed game and whether they all made it back home.

There are huge problems in France and Spain, as there will likely be over here.

However, I dont think its for Remy Casty or any other player to dictate the tone or decide the way forward for the game, this has to come from those running the sport.

I do think the season will now be suspended given that players are self isolating, the Government is likely to ban large gatherings and the sport can't afford to play behind closed doors but when did we start ignoring the experts and listening to the likes of Casty, Rooney, Neville, Caprice, Morgan, etc on complicated issues that they know absolutely nothing about?

Keep the games on. Allow 400 passholders to attend (drawn out randomly and asked if they want to attend), and sit/stand spaced out. Let SKY broadcast every game, 1 on Thursday, 1 on Friday, 2 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday. Get them to pay towards the additional games to cover team's lost revenue.

Would look good to SKY in terms of next TV deal, viewing figures would go up with sport fans keen for a fix, and potential new audience. Gives people hope and a mentality of now allowing things to break society down!

Or....that's the exact thing we shouldn't do

Good post.

I’m fine to leave it to the experts- if they say we can play and there is no issue with crowds then play on. Playing behind closed doors just won’t work for rugby league as clubs need the income. Where are Sky going to get the money to pay more when people are more likely to be cancelling subscriptions with no live sport. Just wont happen.

It may be being naïve but, if clubs could open small sections within their grounds, to limit the numbers actually standing / sitting together and assuming of course that clubs were able to field a decent side, would this not allow the game to continue ?
There may be issues with people all wanting to leave the ground at the same time but, this cant be insurmountable.

I'd much rather see sport coming up with "creative" ideas to keep going, rather than just pull the shutters down.

You would think that it would be possible to test players frequently enough to allow them to play, assuming that there is the desire for this to happen ?

I agree with this

The issue with crowds is that it inevitably takes valuable resources away from the medical world. You need at minimum St. John's Ambulance plus two team Doctors just to get a game on and that's before you start seriously resourcing for a crowd in the 000s/0000s. In the (admittedly unlikely) event that either a player gets seriously injured or (highly unlikely) there is an incident of some sort in the crowd, that's ambulances etc. that are being taken away from an already stretched NHS.

If there is scope to get a game on, I think the solution should be stream all (non-SKY) games online. Season ticket holders get free access - all clubs have databases' of ST holders these days, so shouldn't be that hard - and everyone else can buy access for £10/20 a game or similar. You ask those watching to donate an extra £5 or £10 that they might have spent on a programme or food and drink. For many reasons it is not going to generate the same revenue as a fixture played with open doors, but at least some revenue could be generated and the game kept moving forward.

I think some of the better played players in the sport need to consider deferring portions of their salary until later in the year or their contract - James Graham seems to be making similar noises in the NRL about this.

To postpone the season something would have to be sacrificed. Maybe the challenge cup should sit out this year and return in 2021, or scrap the ashes.

Scrap the grand final, make it League Leaders Champions