Do you think we should have unlimited substitutions and maybe a few more on the bench if we have midweek fixture etc to ease the load on the players if we have a fixture pile up?

It would make sense to increase the number of subs to six and to increase the number of allowed substitutions to 14. That’s just my opinion however no matter what they do there are going to be some tired bodies. Strength in depth will be the key to who is successful this season should the RFL wish to cram in all the fixtures.

Yeah good point we shall see what happens

8 players on the bench, Each one allowed on once just while we get the fixture pile up sorted out then back to normal after that

I agree.
I've argued for this before, I've also said that two or three of those subs should be aged 21 or under at the start of the season to allow them to get 1st team experience.

I would say constant midweek games would be really bad for player welfare but might have to be done from a financial standpoint and increasing subs would be a great idea.

If we start back on 1/6/20 which seems extremely unlikely at the minute we would have lost 11 fixtures one of which magic which will not necessarily be need to replayed.

If we started on 1/7/20 we would have lost 14 games, we will get a weekend back on the 18th as it seems obvious the challenge cup will be cancelled totally. That is a lot of games to catch up on unless the loop fixtures are abolished and its worked on a home away basis meaning we will only have 15 matches left as we have played 7, i reckon that will mean we would only need to play 4 midweek games. Some other clubs would have more as they are already games behind. All that would mean we finish on October 10th as planned. There is always the option of extending the season by a month if possible? Meaning minimal midweek games.

Two games a week does appear to be the best way forward. Gives us a chance of a reasonable season with the number of games played. Will complete the season and bring a decent amount of revenue back from walk up fans.

The only problem with two games a week is player burnout which is a real possibility especially if there is pressure to play when carrying a knock.
Perhaps one way is to limit the number of games a player can play. This could be 5 or 6 games a month. If the revised season is 3 months or 92 days then 5 games a month would mean playing every six days. That isn't player burnout.This is the first season we've had the reserves so now we can make use of them and give them first team experience. Cancel the reserve league and make reserve squad players available to play first team.

I do hope SL can suggest a way forward for discussion as we all want to make it succeed. I'm sure we'll all be ready to compromise and get the season back again and see some rugby.

Maybe scrap the loop fixtures and the play-offs this year, first past the post wins, after all there's no guarantee Old Trafford will be available depending how this and next season's football season pans out.

We’ve probably got the deepest squad in the league, so we wouldn’t be in a bad spot if they pile on the fixtures. It’s not ideal even with a big squad and as pointed out a few amendments in interchanges may need to be looked at.

I can see a number of clubs struggling to pay their players, with few spectators, as money will be tight. After the restrictions are lifted we could well have wall to wall sport for up to 18 months with all the major sports fighting for airtime and supporters. Some, like cricket, have no wiggle room at all but for the rest we could see lots of hybrid/Frankenstein seasons all overlapping.

If we resume this season, say in August, we could condense it slightly and finish by the end of January 2021. A 2-3 month break then for what would have been the 2021 season we need to think well outside the box. Something along the lines of a much reduced fixture list, playing other teams only once or perhaps a Lancashire v Yorkshire two group affair. Top team of each group going to the Grand a Final.

Or just start 7 weeks later and skip the loop fixturws

Yes and the Magic Weekend.
The Ashes series will in all probability not be played so we could use Old Trafford for the Challenge Cup Final and Tottenham for the Superleague Final.

Other way around

I wonder as a money spinner if we could try and get Lancashire vs Yorkshire going to replace that Ashes series. I know they’ve not really hit the spot in the past but if we had two games, say at Elland Road and Old Trafford and billed them as games to help raise funds to support clubs across the game, would we be able to get big crowds on. If the games then turn out to be a decent spectacle it could be the start of something more permanent.

The Aussies will look after themselves, as they always do, so I’d be looking at something different to playing the Kiwis again. I know I’d part with £20/30 per game if I knew that money was supporting clubs across the sport. The fact that guys like Bateman, Graham, Whitehead, Tom Burgess etc would potentially be available would only add to the quality of the sides and give the games a bit more interest. A lot will depend of time but if there is time to fit it in, I think it could be a decent opportunity.

That's a nice idea.

There’s talk that the NRL will replace the Ashes with origin at the end of their season. If that’s the case then our lads should be available but either way I would love to see us use this time as a way of reintroducing our own Origin, if we cannot get the Ashes on.

One thing this pandemic is doing is giving people more of a sense of pride in their community and their country. If you put a bit of marketing effort in to a Lancs vs Yorks game then I think you’d easily get more than just rugby league people there.

I nominate Waney vs Daryl Powell as coaches also. Add an edge and have players on both sides trying to impress the national coach.

I think this season will be finished as soon as they can. Hetherington is already talking about binning welfare rules to play 3 times a week. Adding a meaningless set of “representative” matches may be a bit of a damp squib, the chairmen of the clubs won’t want to loose home revenue, so the clubs won’t reduce the number of matches, apart from dropping magic. I’m not sure the players will be in any state at the end of the season. Plus a lot of speccies are on reduced or no income at the moment, and 3 matches a week will draw on the financial commitment of the most dedicated fan.

If we can get a meaningful competition out of this season that should be the aim

I don’t think we will see the return of any sport this season. Death rates are doubling daily with no actual clear indication of how we’re going to beat this thing nor any meaningful testing being carried out.

I’d expect SL2020 to be scrapped in the coming months followed by the Premiership and Football League (something which as a long suffering Liverpool fan hurts!).

There’s bigger things than sport at the minute and I just can’t see it being resumed until 2021 when a vaccine or proper preventative treatment is potentially available.

My hope is that they continue with this season as and when needed.

Really hoping a bit of fixture manipulation goes ahead and we end up playing Saints on Boxing day too

I do think that they'll play this season out if at all possible,they can play to xmas easily enough,curtail next season to give the player a month off in January,pre season feb for a late feb, begin of march start to next season.

Whenever it returns, this year or next, the whole sport of RL needs to come together. Pack out the stadiums and grounds. Home and away. From SL down to the North West amateur leagues. Get some much needed income back into our sport and clubs. Get RL back with an almighty bang!

Scrap the play-offs, magic weekend and internationals for 2020. That buys around 2-3 months. Season ends end of November. Next season starts on 1 March, scrapping WCC and magic weekend to cut two weeks from the season.