Super League has asked Newcastle United about the possibility of moving their scheduled Magic Weekend event at St James' Park to a later date, in a bid to salvage the event for crowds.
However, the league's start date has been pushed back because of Covid-19 and a season-format tweak is likely.
Finding a date will also depend on Newcastle's own football commitments.
No date has been set for the start of the 2021-22 Premier League season but it has routinely begun in August under normal circumstances.
Super League's chief commercial officer Rhodri Jones admitted the usual 27-game plan is "unrealistic" given the compressed time available to fulfil fixtures before October's World Cup, and 24 and 26-game scenarios are most likely.