Minichiello slams RFL over player welfare

Mark Minichiello has hit out at the RFL for staging two double-header weekends in the space of seven weeks during the 2017 Super League season.

The Hull FC forward says there are too many demands on players with no voice for him and his fellow pros when decisions are made.

Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside, Minichiello said: “I don’t think the RFL look after their players at all, they ask a lot of their players.

“It is a physical game we play and then we play two double-header periods in one season – that is ridiculous in my opinion.”

The 35-year-old was part of the Hull team beaten by Leigh on Friday night and now they must travel to face Catalans in the South of France on Monday.

Minichiello said he and his team-mates will ‘do the best they can’ with the fixture but was further critical of the reasoning behind the congestion of games.

England were scheduled to hold a training camp the week before the season but that was cancelled on the consultation of the clubs.

This has led to the fixture pile up in the middle of the season with Minichiello calling for more of a voice for the players.

“That is another thing that is absolutely crazy,” he said.

“Start the competition a week later for a camp that didn’t happen, then make players play three games in seven days twice in the year. I’d like to see them do it.

“Players of the game don’t have a united front. That allows the RFL to do what they want without consulting players.

“It is easy to say and tough to do – there needs to be a collective player union where 100% of Super League players are involved.

“That is a great starting point to make sure the RFL has a point of call to go to and negotiate terms of play and the growth of the game.

“Players are the biggest asset the game has and we need a voice.”