Wakefield Trinity CEO Michael Carter says there's "no logic" as more players stood down due to Covid

Wakefield Trinity chief executive Michael Carter says he feels there is “no logic” behind some of the track and trace analysis policy after revealing one positive Covid test had led to nine players in total missing tomorrow’s game against St Helens.
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Trinity could postpone the contest - rules brought in say clubs can try to rearrange games if missing seven or more due to ‘Covid-related reasons - but they say they will play at Emerald Headingley despite being down to their last 17 players.

Even then, Carter explained: “Ultimately we’ve got 14 fit players and three guys out of a group of about five who played rock, paper, scissors to see who’s the least injured.”

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Castleford have pulled out of tonight’s game against Leeds Rhinos after reporting three positive tests and seven other players unavailable for Covid-related reasons.

Hull FC - without a game this week - came in to take their place last night and Carter added: “I think if Cas hadn’t have been in the position they were in yesterday, we’d have been the ones who were saying for Hull to play Saints on Friday and we’ll pick up a fixture the week after.

“But the fact is that, if you go in a chronological order, Cas had their issues first and have got that switch, and we’ve nowhere to go. So we are playing tomorrow night, we’ll have 17 on the field and in the dugout but that’s all we’ve got and we’ll give it the best we can.”

Trinity, who have had three previous separate incidents of Covid outbreaks, had a five-day self imposed lockdown last week to deep-clean their training facilities.

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It seemed to work as they travelled to France on Sunday for their game against Catalans Dragons with no new reports of players being affected by the virus.

Wakefield Trinity CEO Michael Carter, right, with head coach Chris Chester. (PIC: JONATHAN GAWTHORPE)Wakefield Trinity CEO Michael Carter, right, with head coach Chris Chester. (PIC: JONATHAN GAWTHORPE)
Wakefield Trinity CEO Michael Carter, right, with head coach Chris Chester. (PIC: JONATHAN GAWTHORPE)

However, Wakefield - on an eight-game losing run - have suffered another setback, taking their tally to seven players who have caught Covid in total since the sport resumed in August.

Carter admitted it is becoming increasingly tough to field a side and said players are increasingly confused as to why they are not allowed to play.

He explained: "We came back (from France) on a private plane and had to bring the (match) officials with us, so there is an element of the fact that some people are a little bit closer than they should be.

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"The fact then we get one positive on Monday morning means suddenly we're facing 10, 12 players standing down just because of that one positive test.

“For me, there’s just no logic in it anymore.

“Because if we’d have played Catalans on Friday - like Hull KR are doing this week - then tested on Monday and got one positive test, they only go back 48 hours so it wouldn’t have had any sort of effect on us whatsoever.

“So we’re kind of left with 13, 14 players training for the rest of the week and right up until this morning we’re still in conversations with Public Health England, doctors, medical staff and the RFL about who can and can’t play.

“I just wanted to put into context how tough some of the challenges are for the coaches and the staff and the players at this moment in time.

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“There’s a couple of players within that group who’ve been stood down and just can’t fathom the logic of why. And it’s very difficult to try and explain to them because I don’t think there is any logic to it.”