Huge losses, player exodus and fan ‘optimism drained’ – inside Salford’s crisis

It is almost six years since Salford Red Devils, under the tutelage of Ian Watson, reached the Super League Grand Final.

That trip to Old Trafford could have been a fairytale for the ages – but they were beaten by a St Helens side that began to surf the crest of one of the most dominant waves Super League has ever seen, winning four successive titles.

Watson’s side had been written off as relegation candidates going into the 2019 campaign and looked a million miles away from play-off spot challengers.

Yet his side dared to dream and, having surprised their critics as well as nurturing that season’s Man of Steel Jackson Hastings into one of the league’s top performers, things looked pretty good for Salford.

Not least because 12 months later, during a Covid-interrupted season, the club reached the Challenge Cup final but ultimately lost to Leeds Rhinos at an empty Wembley.

Fast forward to 2024 and having navigated their way through Covid, current boss Paul Rowley guided the club to an impressive fourth-placed finish in Super League and a play-off spot.

If you knew nothing else about Salford other than these three respective moments over a five-year period, then you would be forgiven for thinking that this was a club on an upward trajectory.

However, the wheels have fallen off in 2025.

Just over a month after the end of the 2024 campaign, the true pressures of Salford’s financial situation began to surface.

The club called a meeting of all Super League clubs in November to request an advance payment of money they were set to receive during this season to cover holes in their finances.

Those gaps were caused, the club said, by uncertainty over the ownership of their Salford Community Stadium home, and a few days later they were granted advanced funds.

Their plight continued into the new year and overshadowed their preparations for the 2025 season, with the Rugby Football League (RFL) ordering them to sell players shortly before a takeover by a consortium led by businessman Dario Berta was agreed on the eve of the season.

Salford’s campaign got off to the worst possible start as they fielded mostly reserve players in a record-breaking 15-try 82-0 defeat at St Helens, with the RFL later putting their team selection under investigation.

A sustainability cap imposed by the RFL at the beginning of the season because of financial uncertainty at the club was lifted but then applied again in March as monetary issues continued to bite despite the takeover going through.

Things have continued to get worse as senior players have gradually left the club, resulting in a patchwork team filled with loanees suffering a demoralising 80-6 loss to Hull FC on Sunday.

In a statement issued late on Monday evening, the Red Devils’ owners said the club would not close and that bridge funding would be “available and settled” by the end of August, adding that they remained “fully committed” to supporting the club sustainably.

Of the 17-man squad that were selected for Salford’s Super League play-off defeat by Leigh Leopards at the end of last season, just five remain.

Talismanic half-back Marc Sneyd’s move to Warrington Wolves was the first in a lengthy list of departures which began in March.

Prop Brad Singleton was next, joining fellow strugglers Castleford Tigers, while Tim Lafai and Kallum Watkins followed.

Joe Bullock left on a loan move to Barrow Raiders, half-back Chris Atkin joined Singleton at Castleford, while Nene Macdonald, who was at the core of Salford’s impressive 2024 side, took unpaid leave in June.

Sam Stone moved to Warrington on loan shortly after being accused of “downing tools” by Rowley, who said he was unaware of rumours the players would eventually go on strike.

The exodus continued last week as Chris Hankinson signed for Leeds, Chris Hill joined Bradford Bulls, while Jack Ormondroyd and hometown hero Ryan Brierley left for Oldham.

In the end, five debutants turned out for Salford against Hull FC, with squad numbers going up to 63, and some players only meeting their team-mates on the coach journey to the stadium.

“It’s felt like a line in the sand moment,” Rowley told BBC Sport shortly before kick-off.

“Losing Ryan and Jack in particular, they were the last two of the originals, so to speak.

Brierley’s loss was a major blow but his decision, he said, was motivated by the worsening situation Salford are in.

“I never wanted to leave, that wasn’t my intention,” Brierley told BBC Radio Manchester.

“I was pretty adamant I would finish my career there.

“I didn’t want to be part of the demise. I never wanted to be at fault for it. I know it never would have been that way, but my gut instinct made me think that Salford would be the beneficiary of me going to Oldham.

“I’ve not felt like it’s been the Salford I fell in love with. It’s been ripped out in one way or another with the team and morale.”

Brierley said the tipping point for him was their 74-12 defeat by Hull KR in July.

“I just feel so sorry for the people still there – and Paul Rowley in particular – who, more than anyone, doesn’t deserve this,” he added.

“But for me and couple of others, we took it to the final depths of how much we could hold on for and, ultimately, the deterioration took a turn for me [against Hull KR].

The fact that Salford have even been able to compete so far into the season is in no small part down to their reserve squad, with several young players stepping up to first-team action through necessity rather than ability.

And that reliance on youth has only increased with the sustainability cap continuing to affect team selection, in addition to players departing.

“Six months ago I was so optimistic,” Shirley Bradshaw, chair of the supporters’ trust, told BBC Radio Manchester.

“My optimism has been drained now to the point where I’ve never felt so depressed going to a game.

“These lads that are playing for us and giving us their all, we know what’s expected of all of them and we know there’s no way they’re going to be able to go up against all these seasoned Super League players, as people can see by the scores that have been turning out.

“We can’t do anything more but applaud these lads for what they’re doing, even though they shouldn’t be there for this.”

Little is known about the club’s new owners and they have not spoken to the media since their arrival earlier this season.

As things stand, it is unclear whether Salford will be able to return to Super League in 2026 and how their current situation will impact on their IMG grading for next season.

Salford’s situation comes at the same time as football clubs Morecambe and Sheffield Wednesday go through stark financial problems of their own under the shadow of the Football Governance Bill being passed into law.

Bradshaw has written to culture secretary Lisa Nandy and Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle – a rugby league fan – about the club’s plight.

“We had a fabulous team and week-by-week we’ve lost all these players, which is the nucleus of the first team,” Bradshaw said.

“These kids are coming in and they’re doing a fantastic job… they’re putting their bodies on the line for the club.

“And I don’t think they’re getting any respect from these owners and it needs to change.”

Assistant coach and former player Krisnan Inu said that criticism of the club – including the roles of consortium members Saia Kailahi and Curtiz Brown – from fans and the media has had a negative effect.

In his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, Inu said that had the consortium not come in, the club “would have fallen apart a long time ago”.

“Obviously, there’s a lot of frustration and people are in different positions, but at the same time when the media keep throwing punches at our club, it hurts everyone and not just the players,” Inu told BBC Radio Manchester.

“They’re two humans as well. Everyone keeps naming them and tries to put their heads on sticks. I see them working hard but, honestly, the fans don’t see it.

“What I see that they’re trying to do for the club is massive, and patience might be the word, but at the same time there is a lot of frustration and when people start talking about people getting paid late, we’re all part of that and I’m no different.”

Asked about Sunday’s fan protest, Inu added that there could be positive news between now and kick-off.

Salford were planning for the long-term future before this season began, having tied down Rowley to a director of rugby role from 2026 with the intention of appointing Kurt Haggerty as head coach.

However, the current head coach is more concerned about the impact the club’s difficulties are having on non-playing staff.

BBC Sport learned that last Sunday’s fixture against Hull FC had been in doubt as the club owed money for coach travel and to a launderette which had washed their kit.

Prior to the game, Rowley said that he was under the impression that the RFL had paid both bills in order to get the game on.

“I know everyone wants to drag us through until the end of the year, and they’ll bend and break every rule to allow us to do that, but it’s what happens after that. That’s what’s my concern [is] for all the staff,” he told BBC Sport.

“They know that they will be the forgotten people and that concerns me.

“It’s a persona when I’m at work and I’m in front of people – I’ve got to have a positive attitude and a body language that says that we want to win.

“I coach to win, whatever it looks like and whoever I’m coaching. I’m crumbling like everybody else.”

As for the owners, Rowley said that he does speak to them but he is unclear on what the future holds.

“I have an amount of dialogue with them and they remain positive and on task,” he added. “That gives me some hope.