The 2020 Betfred Super League season will be reshaped through November in response to the impact of Covid-19 cases at two clubs, and four elimination Play-Offs will determine the make-up of the Grand Final on Friday 27 November.

Following the confirmation yesterday (Monday) that Castleford Tigers are unable to play for at least another week after further positive tests, fixture planning for the remaining three rounds of the regular season was further complicated by news of a number of positive tests at Hull KR who this morning advised that they would not be able to fulfil the remaining three matches.

The Super League and RFL Boards have agreed on a revised format and Operational Rules (respectively), which will see the regular season wrapped up within the next four days, after which the top six teams in the table will qualify for the Play-Offs. The club that finishes seventh will remain on standby.

The St Helens and Catalans Dragons fixture, scheduled for Thursday 5 November in Perpignan, will be cancelled, with both teams having already qualified for the top six, and due to the imminent national lockdown and heightened concerns over international travel. As a consequence of the change in the Regular Season structure, the previous requirement for a Club to complete a minimum number of games (15) has been removed.

The five clubs at the bottom of the table after this week’s fixtures will stay on their current win percentages with the remaining fixtures struck out.

Remaining Fixtures

The two remaining Super League fixtures, both Round 20 matches to be played at Emerald Headingley on Friday 6 November, will see Wakefield Trinity and the Red Devils conclude their campaigns at 5.30pm on Sky Sports, which will be followed by the Warriors v Giants at 7.45pm, a fixture which will determine who wins the League Leaders’ Shield and also Warrington's play-off placing.

A Wigan win would see the Wire finish in 3rd and face Hull FC on Thursday 12 November in an elimination play-off. Whereas a Huddersfield win would see Warrington finish in 2nd place on points difference and go straight to a play-off semi-final the following week.

Play-off Structure

The top two teams will sit out the first round of the Play-Offs, while those finishing third to sixth in the table on win percentage move into the elimination matches. Those games will be played on November 12 and 13.

The winners will then face first and second in the semi-finals on November 19 and 20, at home venues, to determine who plays in the Betfred Super League Grand Final at the KCOM Stadium on Friday 27 November.

What Super League Have Said

Super League Head of Commercial Rhodri Jones said: “The revised format to the play-off schedule provides fans and Sky Sports with an extended series of exciting knockout matches to finish the season.

Super League to Move to Revised Play-Off Structure