Right decision but absoutely zero chance of getting games on by April 3rd.
Its goin to be months rather than weeks. Who knows what impact this will have on the sport.

Superleague sides need the income let alone Champ and L1 sides. Woorying times ahead i fear

I knew this move to summer rugby (1996) would not last. LOL

I think we will be taking at least May before we get games so maybe lose 6-7 weeks. Will be tough to make it up

just under 10 weeks to Magic, but in the grand scheme of things, it is only a hobby.

It's all the fault of James Child...

Scrap the loop fixtures and job done.

Doubt clubs will like losing the income from 3 home games though

No relegation so good news for Toronto !

ore likely James Rule...................

In the Super League’s position, I’d do the following:
We’re going to need to plan for a shorter season. That much is blatantly obvious.
Firstly, scrap the Challenge Cup. No club relies on income from this competition for survival (every year, some clubs go out of the cup after one away game, so it provides no income).
Secondly, curtail this season by removing loop fixtures. Draft a new fixture list that takes into account the games played so far and then comprises of finishing the season at the point all teams have played each other at home and away (so 22 games in total).
All clubs will lose three home games. However, ALL gate receipts from ALL games should be divided equally amongst the 12 clubs so that this does not disproportionality impact on some clubs. The few richer clubs with higher attendance might squeal a bit. But they need to realise that if this doesn’t happen, we’ll be left with only a handful of clubs and they will have nobody to play against. We also need to split the gate receipts from any play-off series and the grand final between all 12 clubs.

That could be mitigated by dividing all gate receipts for the rest of the season between the twelve clubs. Including ticket sales from any play-off games and the Grand Final.

Partially agree with that

I remember when your club played Saints at home in the cup, on TV and it was almost packed out(I nearly said a sell out) yet the attendance was given out at somewhere in the region of five and a half thousand, I wondered at the time it that helped pay for Zak Hardaker's transfer.

Maybe they deducted the St Helens supporters who left at half time?
Joking aside, I didn’t think gate receipts were split until the semi-final stage, but I could be wrong on that one.
It wouldn’t be difficult for the RFL to assume responsibility for all ticket sales if they think this could be an issue. They already sell tickets for other games so they have the platform to do it. They could even set up e-tickets for those who choose to attend on the day, they don’t need to go through the associated costs of printing and posting tickets.

Sensible idea but, I' dont think that the virus will be clear in time to allow even the reduced fixture list.

Although it will still cause severe pain (I dont think that there is a solution that wont), perhaps we should let the thing clear and then continue the season, maybe with out the loop fixtures) and then have a shorter off season and then go again next season, the start of which could be moved back by how ever many weeks are necessary.
Alternatively, when we are up and running again, play games every 5/6 days instead of 7, which, again, will allow the fixtures to catch up.

For my plan to work, games would need to start again in early June to get to a grand final for the correct date. This would also mean a top four play-off with just two semi-finals before the Grand Final (as before, 1st v 4th and 2nd v 3rd).
As you say though, we don’t know what’s ahead.

I don't think there will be a professional rugby league game played with a crowd in attendance again in 2020. I know a couple of people working on the frontline of vaccination in the pharmaceutical industry, and they were telling me last week then don't expect the next football season to start in August, let alone see the current one resume in April.

There are still people trying to write this off as "just a bit of flu", but the reality is in some quarters they are estimating it could lead to up to a million deaths in the UK alone, and it will obviously have an absolutely devastating economic effect - way in excess of the 2008 crash - that lasts years beyond that. Already there have been lay offs in the travel and hospitality industries, and we've barely got started.

If my expectations are right then rugby league as a professional entity might not survive at all sadly, but by then pretty much everyone will be a lot more concerned about the health of their family and their ability to pay the rent/mortgage, bills and put food on the table than they are about any sport or leisure activity. Obviously I'll be rounded on for this as a doom and gloom merchant, especially as I'm just an occasional poster rather than one of the RLfans oracles who are obviously the experts on everything. To qualify though, I very much hope it is me that is wrong. An awful lot of people are still massively underestimating what we're potentially for though.

I fear that you may be right.
Having said that, unless its just a couple of games, the "behind closed doors" option doesnt really help anyone.

I think that scenario is as likely as any other. Anyone who thinks that they KNOW what is going to happen is deluded. We just don’t.
I think (but don’t know) that the economic impact will be much bigger than the health one. There will be millions who are put out of work and millions of business that rely on people going to them just won’t survive (pubs, restaurants, holiday sites, arenas, clubs etc, the list could go on).
We are looking at an economic crash on an unprecedented scale, I think.

I really can't believe the fans asking for games being played behind closed doors, I mean were being told to keep our distance and not meet up in groups while were happy for players to be in physical contact with each other and just get on with it

I cannot see how those figures can be realistic, when the epicentre of this virus is already on the downward curve in terms of new cases, and the deaths from those currently infected. We are nowhere near their levels, and with higher levels of hygiene (typically) over here, living conditions not as cramped or close, I cannot foresee those levels you mention coming to fruition. That is not to say that I am going to be any less cautious

I was very much of same mindset until this last week.But reading the imperial college documents and looking like on verge of lockdown I fear DM's post is more likely and some serious hard times ahead

You are in for a shock suprise then. This is gonna get a lot worse in the west before it gets better. The situation in Italy, France and Spain should tell you what is yet to come.

Europe is now classed as the epicentre. China brought this under control within 3 months but that was with a collective national effort with everyone pulling in the same direction, the collective over the individual and that meant yes people individual rights were infringed upon. Literally no one was going out, people who went out all wore masks. Heads were appointed for neighbourhoods who managed people coming and going to get essentials, delivery drivers wore gloves and avoided any physical contact when delivering, equipment was disinfected multiple times a day, people working had to log their temperature multiple times a day. Wechat would collate individuals data (linked in with social credit system) and stop people travelling who needed to be isolation.

I guess the point I'm making is we are facing one hell of a challenge to bring this thing under control and the government will IMO have to implement more stringent measures.

Germany is reporting near enough 2000 new cases per day. Europe should have looked at the Chinese and South Korean response.

You're probably right but, in China, people generally do as they are told, something that just doesn't happen in the Western World.
Also ,in China, for all of it's faults, they are great at mobilising people and getting government projects done quickly and efficiently - none of the NIMBY stuff over there, over hear we are too soft with peoples opinions and dont want to upset anyone.

Even the government advice is just too wishy washy, leaving it for everyone to make up their own mind.
This can be great in certain circumstances but, in a time of crisis, it's probably better if the advice given is black and white.
The time for pishing about has gone.