Editor’s column: Important wins and weeks off

Toulouse’s surprise win over St Helens has set the cat amongst the pigeons in the battle to avoid relegation.

After the French side had already lost to the two sides most fancied to be near them at the bottom – Salford and Wakefield – concerns were growing.

But a win over the champions provides them with a timely boost.

Especially as their next Super League game is against Castleford, currently closest to them in the table.

With Toulouse once again not entering the Challenge Cup, they have a nice weekend off to prepare for the trip to Wheldon Road.

Castleford will instead have to slug it out against Leeds, another side desperate for a lift, in the Challenge Cup this Saturday.

It’s another quirk of Toulouse’s season, and perhaps this time one that will be of advantage to them – having suffered on the wrong side of the France COVID restrictions that cost them the services of arguably their two best players in Johnathan Ford and Mark Kheirallah on the eve of their maiden Super League campaign.

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Week on, week off

There are nine Championship teams with a weekend off too as a result of the Challenge Cup.

It’s been a bit of disjointed start to the season for those who exit the cup at the first hurdle – playing just two games in March, then three in each of April and May.

Perhaps next season, league games should be scheduled for cup weeks and then postponed if teams remain in the cup – leaving a free weekend later on in the season for any catch up games to be played.

It would give clubs the option to play – compared to the current situation where they get their season up and running, get fans engaged, and then face weeks without a home game.

Salford at the AJ Bell Stadium

There was an update of sorts to the future of Salford at the weekend, as football club Salford City revealed they would be remaining at Moor Lane for the 2022/23 season.

Their planned move to the AJ Bell Stadium is expected to happen the following year.

Where it leaves the Red Devils remains to be seen. They were previously locked in talks about moving in the opposite direction to Moor Lane, and that appears the only real solution to the club remaining in their city boundaries.

Fans will be eager for an update soon.

Whatever happens, hopefully Salford find somewhere that they can be allowed to flourish.

And hopefully somewhere that doesn’t charge media and fans £8 for parking!

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