BY JOHN DAVIDSON
A Salford Red Devils player has opened up about the financial nightmare faced by the Super League club and the massive impact it is having on the squad.
Huge uncertainty surrounds the future of the club following a dubious takeover in February that has seen wages paid late twice in the past two months. The struggling club remains in special measures and under a sustainability cap, with Salford’s debts still to be cleared.
The Red Devils players were finally paid for this month this afternoon, but that came after they allegedly were threatened by club management this morning with a breach of contract if they did not take the field against Wigan this Sunday. It is believed Salford will take the field against the Warriors.
But the long-term survival of the Red Devils remains in huge doubt and one Salford player, who spoke to rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads on condition of anonymity, called the situation a mess.
“We don’t know where the money’s coming from,” he said.
“The players have lost all hope and all trust in these owners. We feel like they’ve had an agenda behind the whole thing, we feel like they want the stadium and they won’t pay until they’ve agreed a deal with the council to take that.
“But again it’s all hearsay, it’s conspiracy, but the longer it gets kicked down the road players are suffering. The RFL are allowing us to keep fielding teams, playing for whatever reason – loyalty or… The club have put us in a difficult position, as they would, not allowing players to leave.
“I don’t know, it’s a bit of a mess. The staff have been told they’ll get paid next week and we’re waiting on a £7 million investment to come in mid-April, which is the deadline that’s already been failed numerous times before.”
The player confirmed that pressure has been put on the squad to play on Sunday. At least three Salford players could take the field with serious injuries.
“There’s boys who aren’t fully fit yet, who are coming back from injury who are going to have to do a job against arguably the best team in the competition.
“Where does the welfare step in? We’re the only ones suffering at the moment, obviously the fans are [too], but right now our lives are being gambled with.
“Some boys have been guilt-tripped into playing, or persuaded into playing. A few are on the fence.”
The player said the team has not had any contact from anyone at the RFL or the player’s union during the crisis.
“Rugby League Cares have been in and around the training sessions, but they don’t have any information,” he said.
“It seems like we’re the last to know anything. We get told about club statements as they’re being put out, sometimes after they’ve been put out.
“We’re just in the dark and we’re trying to have a conversion with these owners but they put that off yesterday. They’ve still not spoke to us. They’re yet to tell us what is the future of the club.”
New club owners Saia Kailahi and Curtis Brown have yet to conduct an interview with any media outlet and have met the playing group just once.
“When it first happened [the takeover] they took us out for breakfast, that’s the last time we had any interaction with them,” the player said.
“Since then we’ve just been in the dark. They’ve been seen around the games but they’ve not approached anyone. It’s all very confusing at the moment, it just doesn’t add up.
“I’d love to know where the money’s come from. I’ve been told it can’t be from the RFL this time.”
A number of players have already left Salford, with Marc Sneyd sold to Warrington, Brad Singleton sold to Castleford and Tim Lafai returning to Australia. More are expected to depart.
“I have no intention of leaving Salford,” the player admitted.
“I do love it here, the lads are class. It’s a great environment. Obviously it’s been horrible for the past couple of months now, before Christmas when it started.
“But it’s at the point now where futures, mortgages and everything are at risk on the word of a couple of guys who say they’ve got the money, but we kind of know they’ve not.
“I’m hearing rumours that they’re asking for money here, there and everywhere from entrepreneurs.
“I just don’t trust them. It all started with them trying to send this £1.9 million, which they intentionally made bounce back to them because they didn’t have the stadium in writing.
“So they made us believe that they tried to send it and it got bounced back, which is when it all kicked off about one, two months ago. So straight from the outset they’ve been telling lies.
“People need to really know what’s going on.”
The RFL have remained silent on the Salford crisis and yet to take any action, despite heavy criticism.
“The reason they’re not doing anything is because they need this whole thing to be successful,” the player said.
“If I’m correct people are going to lose their jobs at the RFL if this falls through. So Salford have been threatened that if we don’t fulfill this fixture we’ll be kicked out of the league.
“And I feel like it’s a position where it’s either a bluff or not, and I feel like it’s a bluff because the league needs Salford to fulfill the fixtures. There’s a bunch of financial reasons why that must happen, and if that doesn’t happen it would be a worse outcome for the league.
“And there’s a couple of ways it happens, but we’re just going to have to wait to see how this plays out.”
Yesterday a RFL spokesperson said: “The RFL has remained in regular contact with the Salford club at various levels this week as it has for the last three months, doing all possible to support within the regulations, and shares the frustration and disappointment felt by many others given the club’s position.
“This includes the other clubs, given the ongoing impact on the competition, as well as the club’s staff, and we have alerted Rugby League Cares to the latest position to be available to provide support.
“Again, we have sought and received assurances that this position is temporary, and that substantial investment will be made into the club. This remains the desired outcome for all, ensuring that Salford Red Devils will complete the Betfred Super League season.”
