Super League: Castleford Tigers awarded 24-0 win after Huddersfield Giants call-off
- Published
Huddersfield Giants lost 50-12 at home to Catalans Dragons on Thursday
Castleford have been awarded a 24-0 win over Huddersfield after the Giants were left unable to field a 17-man squad for the game.
Huddersfield called Tuesday's game off on Sunday after a player returned a positive lateral flow Covid test.
A second player was awaiting results while track and trace regulations have taken away at least four more players from their squad.
Ten Super League games have been called off this season because of coronavirus.
Castleford had to forfeit their last game, against St Helens on Wednesday, after being unable to raise a team.
Huddersfield say nearly 20 players from head coach Ian Watson's squad will be unavailable to face Castleford for varying reasons.
Giants managing director Richard Thewlis said on Sunday that the Giants were hoping the Rugby Football League would allow them to rearrange the match.
"Everyone knows how tough [it is] injury-wise at the moment and this morning's positive result and subsequent track and trace was a hammer blow to us all," he said.
"It has now become simply impossible to field 17 players safely on Tuesday. This is not a decision taken lightly.
"Whilst we recognise that technically it is possible that we fall short of the Covid threshold for postponements - we are awaiting some results still - we do wish to rearrange this game and would hope that the RFL [Rugby Football League] and Castleford will agree for us to do so.
"We do not plan at this stage to name any of our players and their issues - however, we will be making the necessary medical information known to the RFL in confidence."
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