When the RFL compile the following season’s fixtures late in the preceding year, there are more obstacles to getting the list in order than it initially appears.
Maximising television audiences, stadium availability and pitch resurfacing can all impact on when teams play and who they will face, with resurfacing sometimes having a prolonged influence on some teams’ schedules.
Wigan played six away games in a row due to work being undertaken on the pitch at the Brick Community Stadium home they share with football club Wigan Athletic, whose season came to an end in May.
Similarly, Warrington’s win against Salford began a run of four consecutive away games with work under way on their pitch, external at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Other clubs who groundshare with other sports, like St Helens, Salford, Huddersfield and Hull FC, have similar challenges fitting their home games around when their stadiums are in use or having essential maintenance.
Changes can be made at relatively short notice during the season, with Huddersfield announcing on Tuesday, external that three of their upcoming games would move dates due to stadium availability at the Accu Stadium, which they share with football team Huddersfield Town.
Meanwhile, Leeds cannot play at Headingley, which adjoins the cricket ground of the same name, if there is an England Test match or a Yorkshire T20 Blast game taking place on the same day.
In a statement issued to BBC Sport, the RFL said: “The development of the fixture list is a complex and time intensive project by several people, as well as a leading software programme.
“A competition of 12 teams, with a season length of 27 rounds, to include loop fixtures and over 100 requests from the clubs, means it will never be perfect but every attempt is made to ensure it is the best version it can be.”
