Wakefield Trinity's and Castleford Tigers' Super League season to end this week

The Super League season has been ended early. Picture: George Wood/Getty Images.

Following the news on Monday that Castleford would be 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.

As a consequence, the Robins informed Super League that they would not be able to fulfil the remaining three matches.

The regular season will end on Friday and the play-offs will be extended to six teams. The club that finishes seventh – either Salford Red Devils or Huddersfield Giants – will remain on standby. The minimum 15-game requirement to qualify for the play-offs has also been removed.

This week's fixtures will go ahead as planned, with Wakefield Trinity and Salford Red Devils concluding their campaigns at 5.30pm on Sky Sports. That will be followed by Wigan Warriors taking on Huddersfield Giants at 7.45pm, in a fixture which will determine who wins the League Leaders’ Shield.

Both matches will be played at Emerald Headingley.

The revised play-off structure will see the top two teams sit out the first round, 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.

Picture by Ed Sykes/SWpix.com - 26/10/2020 - Rugby League - Betfred Super League - Leeds Rhinos v Castleford Tigers - Emerald Headingley Stadium, Leeds, England - Castleford Tigers' Greg Eden celebrates scoring their third try in what is now confirmed as their last fixture this season.

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.

“Nothing has been predictable in this 2020 season and we hope players, supporters and the media will appreciate why we have made this change.

“We believe this revised structure provides the best and fairest way to ensure the two most deserving teams reach the Grand Final.

“I’m sure everyone will be excited about five huge games, set to deliver an even more exciting climax to the 2020 season.”

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.