YESTERDAY'S decision to postpone the rugby league season – from Super League down the juniors - until at least 3 April brings an element of short-term certainty and allows the clubs and the governing bodies time to take stock.

Given the other warnings and predictions it seems inevitable that the suspension could go on for months, rather than two weeks.

In the context of what is going on in the world, how the rest of the rugby league season pans out does not seem high up on the list.

People’s health and well-being is obviously the first priority, with social cohesion, our kids’ education and safeguarding jobs and services pretty much up there at the top.

But given clubs huge roles as beacons in the communities they serve, for the players and staff whose livelihoods depend on matches and supporters whose lives revolve this sport, then it is still a big deal.

And measures will have to be taken – and financial backing lobbied for – to make sure we still have a professional game when this is all over.

Unlike some other sports, rugby league is not awash with cash and the impact of COVID-19 – like plenty of other small businesses, particular pubs and entertainment - could devastate them.

Once the dust settles will all clubs collectively bail out the weakest or the ones going to the wall….or will that help come in the strongest remaining teams simply snapping up their better players.

We obviously do not know how long this suspension is going to last for.

But we are going to have to brace ourselves for some of the landmark dates – Magic at Newcastle in May, the Challenge Cup final at Wembley in mid-July, the Grand Final at Old Trafford and the three-match Ashes series may have to be altered.

The scale of this means that all usual norms go out of the window….and some players may have to have their Mad Mondays on 30 November when their contracts expire.

So, depending on how many weeks we end up with, what are the options for rescuing the season.

Working towards the Grand Final on same date in October.

1. Eliminate all the loop fixtures and Magic weekend, and so every team plays each other just twice, home and away. Squeeze in a series of midweek fixtures to make that deadline.

2. Scrap the Play-offs – and have a straight 1 v 2 Final.

3. Scrap the Play-offs and Grand Final (although is that an option for a sport that will be desperate for cash.

4. Scrap the Challenge Cup rounds, but how would that be squared with the whole game approach and the BBC. That should only be contemplated as an option if there is no chance of making the 18 July Wembley date.

Plan based on moving date of Grand Final.

1. Extend the season until the end of November, when players contracts expire.

2. Play at the same time as/or on the other side of the Ashes. (Rugby union manages to keep its domestic competition going at the same time as the internationals).

Plan based on only having a very short number of weeks in 2020.

1. Have an emergency league – starting from scratch and expunging the first seven weeks, by just playing 11 games, playing each team only once. As it would not be a normal league, relegation would have to be abandoned for 2020.

2. Let the first seven weeks stand, but formulate a fixture list that plays as many games as the weeks allow. Not every team is played home and away.

The additional programme could end up being anything from 10 to 15 additional games, but it would maximise matchday revenue for clubs.

All would play the same total, littered with midweek games and play-offs would have to stay.

3. Play an emergency league, minus Catalans and Toronto as there are additional complications with them. Again, no relegation.

4. Write the year off.