Shaun Lunt: Relegation is taking the enjoyment out of rugby

Hull KR captain Shaun Lunt says that the threat of relegation is taking the enjoyment out of the game.

Speaking ahead of the State of Mind round, and prior to the revelation that the Super 8s might be scrapped (maybe), Lunt referenced his own experiences of going down with the Robins.

He said: “100% I can’t stress how relegation is taking the enjoyment out of rugby now.

“When you have a family, I’ve seen first hand how people lose jobs and I’ve been fortunate to have kept mine, but some people lose theirs and it’s awful it really i.s

“I think it’s no good. It’s not just playing rugby, which is tough as it is, but relegation and promotion.

“It’s a good spectacle for the sport but it means you’ve got to play injured or have injections because you’re worried about getting relegated.

“For me, I’ve played with injections and painkillers and if I didn’t, it’s my job on the line.

“They are trying to cut down on injections, painkillers and stuff like that but I reckon it’s (relegation) made people take on more because they’re worried about being injured.

“Now we play through injuries. If you don’t play, and you lose, then you could be down in the bottom four and relegated and potentially losing your job.”

This weekend sees State of Mind take over Super League for its annual themed round of fixtures, to raise awareness of mental fitness.