Salford Red Devils fans will have to wait a little bit longer to see if there will be any chance of a phoenix club arising before the season starts, with a statement from the RFL that conversations with potential new owners are still ongoing.
The Red Devils were liquidated a fortnight ago, and were served a winding-up petition from HMRC, meaning that the club, under it’s current guise no longer existed.
Three different parties have expressed interest in forming a phoenix club, with former Salford CEO Chris Irwin leading one group, and former player Mason Caton-Brown leading another.
A statement was released last Thursday [December 11] saying that the decision on which consortium, if any, would be taking over the rejuvenated club, but that announcement is yet to be made, with the governing body confirming that it is yet to make a decision.
The RFL are rightly quite cautious not making a mistake with handing the keys to the wrong group, after their due diligence over the previous owners, Saia Kailihi and Curtiz Brown, was criticised for not being thorough enough.
There is currently no timeline for when a decision will be made, but fans would hope that it will come as soon as possible, with Salford’s Championship season due to kick off in mid-January against local rivals Oldham.
The 51-word statement reads in full:
“The RFL can confirm that it is continuing to work alongside three interested parties in relation to Salford Red Devils.”
“A due diligence process is currently place and the RFL and Salford City Council are working closely together to ensure each submission is financially sustainable before a final decision is made.”
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