It’s been bubbling along all season but the Salford Red Devils crisis has finally hit boiling point, so what happens next?
Paul Rowley has stated numerous times this season that different individuals have different limits in regards what they will or won’t accept, something he’d often reference when another of the club’s stars left and sought a new deal with another club.
Throughout this process, Rowley has conducted himself in an impeccable manner and the players, those who have left, those who are loanees, and those who remain, have done too, but they should not be in this situation at all.
To say Salford are only just reaching boiling point now is probably dependent on perspective and each individual’s limits, as Rowley has referenced.
For some, the club asking for an advance on their central funding late last year would have boiling point. For others, the squad they fielded in Round One against St Helens was boiling point. Delayed pay days, the council walking away from any stadium deal, a HMRC case, and now a 74-12 home thrashing at the hands of Hull KR.
There are numerous points in this saga where a perceived boiling point or climax has been reached, yet here we are in August and it feels like it’s just a matter of getting Salford Red Devils to limp over the finish round of Super League, before compelling them to life in the Championship with the Super League expansion’s ‘application process’ set to be more stringent than IMG on financial issues.
‘Mental and physical’ – Salford players sit out for Hull KR hammering
That is an incredibly sad state of affairs and watching Paul Rowley give his post-match interview on Sky Sports on Thursday night was another sad and tough watch. The ever-enthusiastic and positive Rowley openly admitted that he is “bored” of the situation and pointed out the welfare issues in regards to so many young players being exposed all at once.
At this point, it’s not just the young players facing welfare issues but the whole squad and staff. Everybody at Salford Red Devils, barring the ownership group who are culpable for this mess, have been through the wringer and some of the mental wounds they’ll wear from it will not heal quickly.
Salford had to call up Jamie Pye from outside the initial 21-man squad, sacrificing an interchange as a result, because five members of that initial squad did not play. Warrington Wolves loanee Dan Russell alongside senior quartet Ethan Ryan, Chris Hill, Joe Shorrocks and Chris Hankinson all missed out. The latter of those, Chris Hankinson, has now been confirmed as having signed for Leeds Rhinos until the end of the season, whilst Chris Hill has signed with Bradford Bulls.
Speaking in his post-match presser and asked where those senior players were, Rowley put their absence down to both physical and mental wellness.
He explained: “Just injuries or illness, whichever way you want to look at it. Whether that be physical, mental or whatever but I’ve got nothing bad to say about any players.
“It’s been a tough day, a tough week and I’m sure it will be the same again next week.”
What next for Salford Red Devils?
As for ‘next week’, Salford face an away trip to Hull FC on Sunday meaning they will have had a lengthy turnaround but will they have their senior players back?
With the transfer deadline looming large at the end of this month (28th August), Rowley conceded that there will be ‘outside influences’ that impact his side and that suggests more players could leave.
Declan Murphy has already signed with Hull KR for 2026 whilst Harvey Wilson is another who is set to leave, signing a two-year deal with Catalans Dragons, and the aforementioned Hankinson has left the club today.
Whether Salford fulfil this season or not, which you’d expect them to manage given they’ve played 20 rounds with their hands tied behind their backs already, questions of what is left behind rise up.
With just 10 senior players contracted for 2026, including Nene Macdonald who is on unpaid leave, you wonder what that squad will look like. The likely answer is that it will be built out from the young players who have already been over-exposed.
The club will lose performance points for IMG and should gains be made by those below which is very possible with close contenders Toulouse, York and Bradford all vying for the bonus points of winning the Championship Grand Final, then perhaps the Red Devils could even drop out of the top 12.
If that happens then they would have to apply for Super League status and with reports being that it will be a very “robust” process with ‘sustainability’ among the number one factors that Lord Jonathan Caine is looking for, then Salford could be compelled to the Championship.
The owners and their long-promised funds might not want to be involved with a club who don’t play at the top table so what if they walk away? For some, it might be a relief but the only thing keeping HMRC off the club’s backs right now is the promise of funds from those very same owners.
Without that, HMRC will come for their money and what happens beyond that doesn’t necessarily bear thinking about.
Rugby League has failed Salford Red Devils as a club, as a playing group, as staff members, and also as fans. The time for action has come at multiple times this season and nothing has happened, and now, it’s maybe too late.
