BULLS head coach John Kear says he has no issue with his side potentially playing early season games in Widnes or Newcastle, admitting it makes sense.

Super League did something very similar when they resumed last summer, with games divided between Leeds Rhinos’ Headingley ground and St Helens’ Totally Wicked Stadium.

Widnes and Newcastle may be the chosen venues as they both play on artificial surfaces, which will obviously be in better condition in early spring than the grass pitches elsewhere in the league.

And Kear highlighted another important reason why two venues would make sense, as opposed to all 14 Championship grounds.

He said: “I do understand them potentially going down the path of having Widnes and Newcastle hosting the early games.

“We’ve got to make sure the environment we’re playing in is Covid-secure, so it makes sense to play two or three games at the one venue, knowing it’s safe.

“The geography of it all doesn’t bother us, look at the Hull derby last season in Super League, that had to be played miles away at St Helens and it was fine.

“We’d support anything the RFL propose and we’ll do what we have to do.”

That includes potentially having to play their first game of the season in the Challenge Cup towards the end of March, instead of friendlies beforehand, given clubs are not even allowed to resume contact training until next month.

Kear said: “We would like to play games before the Challenge Cup.

“But if we can’t, and we have to go straight into the cup, then so be it.

“If we could have trial matches or friendlies that would be better, but with this new virus variant around, we’ll just have to see.”

In terms of scheduling, the Championship season is now set to get underway on Easter Weekend (April 2-5), having at one point been pencilled in for late February.

It means in the last couple of months, the proposed start date for the second tier has gone from April to February and back to April again.

Defending the RFL, Kear said: “You can’t really plan, you just have to react with the information you have at the time (on coronavirus).

“It’s what all sports and the government have been having to do, to make sure everything is as safe and secure as possible.”

The RFL are conscious that there is due to be a World Cup held in England at the end of October, with Kear leading Wales into the tournament.

On that, the Bulls head coach said: “We’ll have to finish the season before the World Cup starts.

“I think the Super League Grand Final is due to be two weeks before the World Cup, and if that’s the case it would be ideal.

“It should allow teams to have at least one warm-up game before the tournament and hopefully we’ll have crowds back by then too.”