Tag: Gil Dudson

Talking Points | Salford Red Devils 4-26 St Helens

Posted on by Luke Wallworth

Salford Red Devils fell to a 4-26 defeat at the hands of St Helens on Thursday evening and there were a number of talking points from the game.

Attitude

While the result wasn’t the one the Red Devils were looking for the performance was certainly a positive one as Salford put up a resilient display full of ‘effort and endeavour’ as Watson referenced in his post-match press conference.
The first half saw a real back-and-forth affair for the first twenty minutes before Saints opened up a lead heading into the break. However, much like large periods of the first half, Salford matched the current Super League leaders for most of the second half but just couldn’t open up the St Helens defence.


Salford’s defence remained strong for long spells of the game in comparison with their last home outing against Leeds Rhinos. If there were two moments that encapsulated the ‘never-say-die’ attitude they were certainly Ken Sio and Niall Evalds hunting down Tommy Makinson as he broke free and Jackson Hastings pulling off a sensational defensive effort on Makinson also as he went to score in the corner.
There is no doubting that if the levels of effort and desire remain the same next week in France that Salford will be confident of coming away from the Stade Gilbert Brutus with two points. 

Injuries

It was a tough evening at the office for the Red Devils and that showed in the warm-up as George Griffin had to pull out of the starting line-up with a hamstring problem and was replaced by Daniel Murray.
The injury woes continued for Salford in the early stages as Captain Lee Mossop had to leave the field after just five minutes with a similar injury meaning Salford had to play a huge period of the game with 16 men.

Greg Burke also had to leave the field with for a concussion assessment which meant Gil Dudson returned to the pitch almost immediately after coming off to the interchange bench. Jackson Hastings also missed the final ten minutes of the game as he also needed to undergo a concussion assessment. The game may well have gone a different way had Salford had some better luck with injuries on the night.
Lee Mossop and George Griffin are both being monitored ahead of this weekend’s game against Catalans while Greg Burke and Jackson Hastings will also be looking to be in contention to make the 19-man squad.  

Jansin Turgut

The acquisition of Jansin Turgut last season and his re-signing in the off-season may be one that had slipped under the radar with the other incomings however the Turkish international has put in some sterling performances thus far in the 2019 Betfred Super League.
Turgut was named as the Man of the Match by match sponsor Middleton Barton Group. The back-rower managed to earn an impressive 100 metres during Thursday evening’s game and also racked up a fantastic 44 defensive efforts. He was also prevented his first Red Devils try by a matter of inches in the first half.
The 22-year-old is definitely making an impression at the The Salford Stadium during his first full month of game time and he will be looking to carry his fine form into March and onwards.

Gameday shenanigans

Ahead of kick-off, special guests Jackson Yamba and his ten-year-old son David brought the matchball onto the field to an absolutely amazing reception and the Salford Red Devils fans displayed the true meaning of the Salford community! 
Half-time of yesterday’s game saw the debut of ‘Wild Thang’s Wild Five Minutes’ with Dr Devil firing t-shirts into the crowd thanks to our brand-new t-shirt cannon with one lucky fan winning a golden ticket for a fabulous prize at our next home game.


Thursday’s game also saw the Salford University Takeover Day with a number of students, staff and alumni attending in both a professional capacity in the press area and as supporters. There was also a heavy Salford University presence in and around the The Salford Stadium as a major step between one our main partners for 2019.
 
Tickets for Salford Red Devils next two home fixtures against Wigan Warriors on 24th March and Hull FC on 7th April are both available to purchase at the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 7861 570 or online HERE. You can SAVE money by purchasing in advance!

Talking Points | Salford Red Devils 24-0 London Broncos

Posted on by Luke Wallworth

Salford Red Devils earned a second consecutive win to start the 2019 Betfred Super League season with a 20-0 triumph over London Broncos and we’ve taken a look at the talking points from the game. 
Defiant defence
Salford kept London to nil on Sunday afternoon and this is the first time the Red Devils have managed to keep a team scoreless in the Betfred Super League since March 2007 with a 10-0 victory over Catalans Dragons at The Willows. The last time they nilled a side came in a 2008 victory over Batley Bulldogs however this was in the Championship.
There were times when the Red Devils were under pressure from London, but some resilient goal-line defence kept the Broncos at bay most notably when Salford defended back-to-back sets on their own try-line in which London went close on a number of occasions.

Full-back Niall Evalds got the plaudits from Head Coach Ian Watson in the post-match press conference as the ‘leader’ of the defence. The Red Devils have only conceded two tries in their opening two games of the 2019 Betfred Super League season and currently have the best defence in the league.
Competitive home debuts 
Gil Dudson made his 200th career appearance on his home debut for Salford Red Devils and he put in a big shift in his first competitive game at the The Salford Stadium. Dudson arrived in pre-season from relegated Widnes Vikings and has been impressive thus far.


Ken Sio also made his competitive home debut and much like his debut at Huddersfield Giants last week the Australian winger crossed for a try. Sio finished well in the corner after a neat offload from Josh Jones in the second half. 
Crowd on the up
Yesterday’s attendance was confirmed as 3236 which sees a rise on the average attendance from the 2018 Betfred Super League season.


As always, the Salford Red Devils supporters were vocal throughout the game and helped the lads to victory.
Salford welcome Leeds Rhinos to the The Salford Stadium next up on Sunday 17th February, 3pm kick-off, and tickets are now available to purchase for this game from the Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 786 1570 and online here.
 
Salford Red Devils 2019 Season Tickets are still available to purchase from the Club Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 786 1570 or online HERE. You can spread the cost via Direct Debit payments, for more details, click HERE. Season Tickets will now be at a reduced price on a pro-rata basis.

Ian Watson | “Teams who defend well win games and competitions”

Posted on by Luke Wallworth

Salford Red Devils moved to the top of the Betfred Super League table following a 24-0 victory over London Broncos and Head Coach Ian Watson was pleased with various aspects of the win. 

On the result following a tough week…

Happy to get the week over with really. We’ve had a tough week. A lot of the lads have been down with the flu, so much so that I had to cancel training on Thursday afternoon. Rob Lui was a doubt for the game as he was struggling with it on Saturday. What the lads have done is outstanding earning the victory over London.

On the game…

We knew not to underestimate London. Both times we’ve played them while I’ve been here, and we’ve played them in The Qualifiers we’ve been beat. We know they’re a dogged team and we knew that it didn’t matter if we got a lead on them whether that be 6-0 or 18-0 like Wakefield found out last week. You have to defend well and be on it to beat London, every week you’ve got to be right to play a team like London, so we knew exactly what they’d bring and the fact that we’ve done the job proves that we’re a better team than we were last year.

On the defence… 

We spoke a lot about the defence in the build-up, history shows you that teams who defend well win games and competitions. It is something we’ve worked really hard on. I thought it was led really well by Niall Evalds from the back who is the boss of our defensive line and I thought his goal-line efforts were outstanding. To defend as well as we did do as a team and keep London Broncos to a nil was a massive effect and it bodes well for the team.

On proving people wrong…

If you listen to the pundits on Sky Sports the other day, we shouldn’t be in the league the way they were talking but that’s for people to have their opinions. People said us and London would be down there and getting relegated. We’re only two games in and we’re not getting carried away, but we’ll see who is right at the end of the season.

On next week’s game against Leeds…

They’ll be coming here ready to play and they’ll be fired up. They’ve got a new coach and despite losing their opening two games they’ll come to play and they’re still a strong team. They’ve had a tough opening with the games that they’ve had but we’re confident as a group, we don’t need to shout about it we just need to go about our business and do the job.

On the new signings…

That was a big thing for us – would our new signings make the team better? They definitely have done on and off the field. Ken Sio is great around the place and is brilliant with the younger guys, he’s fitted in well. Greg Burke is like a new signing this year as well alongside Gil Dudson and they’ve all added to us and given us a better edge to us as a team.

On any injury concerns… 

No, I think we’ve come through okay. Mark Flanagan didn’t come back on due to back spasms but I think that’s just old age with Flash!
 
Salford Red Devils 2019 Season Tickets are still available to purchase from the Club Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 786 1570 or online HERE. You can spread the cost via Direct Debit payments, for more details, click HERE. Season Tickets will now be at a reduced price on a pro-rata basis.

Matchday Information | Salford Red Devils vs London Broncos | Sunday 10th February 2019

Posted on by Luke Wallworth

Everything you need to know ahead of the Red Devils’ first home game of the 2019 Betfred Super League season.

Key Information

Salford Red Devils will host London Broncos in our first home game of the 2019 Betfred Super League season. The game is set to kick-off at 3pm.
Both the West and South Stands will be open for this weekend’s game. Season Ticket holders are situated in both stands, tickets are still available in both stands and the London Broncos supporters will be situated in W01 of the West Stand.

Ticketing

You can purchase tickets for Sunday’s game against London Broncos at the Club Ticket Office prior to kick-off. You must purchase a ticket from the Ticket Office as oppose to paying at the turnstile. Remember, ticket prices will rise on gameday so we’d encourage supporters to purchase their tickets in advance of Sunday. You can do so online, HERE.
This will be the first game in which 2019 Season Tickets are valid, and they are available for collection before the game. You can also purchase your 2019 Season Ticket up until 2:15pm with the Direct Debit payment option being available. For a reminder of the ticket prices, click HERE. 2019 Season Tickets will be available for purchase before the game on a pro-rata basis.
Additional tickets have been made available in the 1873 suite for Sunday’s game against London Broncos. Supporters can purchase tickets for the 1873 suite from the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 786 1570 or by clicking HERE. Fans who have already purchased tickets for the West or South Stands can upgrade their ticket to the 1873 suite on gameday by visiting the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office and simply paying the difference. For a reminder of 2019 ticket prices, click HERE.
You can now also purchase tickets for our Betfred Super League games against Leeds Rhinos on Sunday 17th February and St Helens on Thursday 28th February from the Club Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 786 1570 or online HERE. Tickets for our 2019 Dacia Magic Weekend clash with Hull Kingston Rovers at Anfield are also available to purchase at the Club Ticket Office.

Stadium & Security

The Salford Stadium turnstiles will open for general admission at 1:45pm.
If you have purchased a ticket in our 1873 Club for tomorrow’s fixture, you can access the suite from 1:30pm via the Main Reception of the The Salford Stadium. You must be wrist-banded on entry to gain access to the suite.
The smoking pens at either end of the West Stand will be open for fans to use. These will be open before pre-game and close as the first half gets underway. The smoking pens will re-open ten minutes before half-time and close as the second half gets underway.
Please remember that all bags will be checked on entry to the The Salford Stadium.

Transport and Parking

The Salford RLFC Supporters’ Trust buses are back in action for Sunday’s fixture against London Broncos. Both the RD1 and RD2 have brand-new quicker routes for the 2019 season with both journeys now only taking approximately 45 minutes. To book your place on either of the services, click HERE.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Car parking is available at the The Salford Stadium and is priced at £6 per car. Seasonal car park passes will be accepted for this fixture.

Club Shop

Salford Red Devils are delighted to confirm that online store provider WildThang will be present on Sunday and will have a pop-up store and trailer set-up on the forecourt of the The Salford Stadium.
Be sure to head over and grab your Red Devils merchandise. Please be aware that WildThang will only be taking sales and returns/refunds must be done via the online website here.

Hospitality

All guests who are dining at Sunday’s game against London Broncos will do so on level three of the The Salford Stadium and will be guided to their respective suite or box by our friendly staff at Reception. Again, all guests will need to be wristbanded.

Marquee and Catering

The Marquee will be open from 12:00pm and DJ Andy Steele will be returning to the Marquee to bring both pre and post-match entertainment while you soak up the atmosphere.
The Salford RLFC Supporters’ Trust will also have a table in the Marquee. Catering vans will also be positioned in both the outside and forecourt and area between the South and West Stand.
Head over to the Marquee pre and post-game to make the most of your matchday experience.

The Red Devil

This weekend’s fixture sees the return of the Club’s official matchday programme – ‘The Red Devil’ – which is packed with more exclusive content than ever before. There is also a token in each issue throughout the season and anyone collecting all 14 will claim a signed matchball at the end of the season!
Australian hooker Joey Lussick features in this week’s ‘Big Interview’, we have the latest from Ian Watson, one fan is put ‘in focus’, Gil Dudson features in a quick Q & A while there are now two dedicated Junior Devils pages.
Purchase ‘The Red Devil’ for just £3 from one of our approachable and friendly programme sellers who will be wearing high-vis vests. Half-time draw and shirt raffle tickets are also available to purchase.

Half-time activity

The half-time draw will be conducted with the winners being confirmed over the PA system and on social media. There will also be a signed shirt raffle conducted at half-time. Purchase your tickets from our friendly sellers who will be located in and around the The Salford Stadium.
The Red Angels Dance Team will be performing before kick-off and at half-time. Be sure to give them a warm welcome.
Of course, Dr Devil will be out on the field to entertain the fans. Make sure to make some noise for Rugby League’s number one mascot.

3G

The outside 3G field will play host to around 150 kids from local community club Cadishead Rhinos and we can’t wait to welcome them to this weekend’s massive Betfred Super League opener.

Additional Notes

There will be a minutes applause to celebrate the life of Salford-born actor Albert Finney who sadly passed away on Thursday 7th February.
 
Salford Red Devils 2019 Season Tickets are still available to purchase from the Club Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 786 1570 or online HERE.You can spread the cost via Direct Debit payments, for more details, click HERE.

Squad | Ian Watson names unchanged 19-man for visit of London

Posted on by Luke Wallworth

Head Coach Ian Watson has named an unchanged 19-man squad for the visit of London Broncos at the The Salford Stadium on Sunday, 3pm kick-off.
Salford Red Devils got their 2019 season off to a winning start with a 14-34 victory over Huddersfield Giants last Friday.
Both Ken Sio and Gil Dudson debuted for the Red Devils and both men will be in line to make their competitive home debuts for Salford this weekend. In fact, if he is selected, Dudson will make his 200th career appearance.
Full-back Niall Evalds grabbed a hat-trick last week at the John Smith’s Stadium which saw him surpass 300 points for the Club and he will be looking to continue his scoring form on Sunday afternoon.
Logan Tomkins made his timely return to the Salford side at Huddersfield and is in line to feature again. Tyrone McCarthy and Jake Bibby will be looking to make their first appearances of the 2019 Betfred Super League season.
The full squad is as follows:

Squad | Ian Watson names squad for 2019 opener against Huddersfield

Posted on by Luke Wallworth

Salford Red Devils Head Coach Ian Watson has named his first 19-man squad of the season as his side travel to the John Smith’s Stadium to face Huddersfield Giants on Friday evening, 7:45pm kick-off.
New signings Ken Sio and Gil Dudson are both in line to make their competitive debuts for the Red Devils after arriving in the off-season.
Jansin Turgut and Joey Lussick both featured in last year’s Qualifiers campaign but could make their Betfred Super League bows for the Red Devils on Friday evening.
Kris Welham comes into the squad after missing the Red Devils most recent pre-season friendly against Wigan Warriors.
Ed Chamberlain and Josh Wood are recovering from injuries however Logan Tomkins – who missed the backend of last season – is included in the 19-man squad.
Here is Ian Watson’s 19-man squad in full:

 
Tickets for Friday’s game against Huddersfield Giants are still available to purchase from the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office up until 4pm on Friday 1st February and are also available over the phone on 0161 786 1570.
Supporters can purchase over the phone and pick up their tickets at either the The Salford Stadium or John Smith’s Stadium Ticket Office in advance of the game.

Ian Watson | “I can’t wait for the season to start”

Posted on by David Clegg

Salford Red Devils Head Coach Ian Watson has given his thoughts on a range of topics ahead of this year’s opening game of the Betfred Super League season against Huddersfield Giants.
On getting the season underway…
“I just can’t wait for it to get started, though it does seem a bit earlier these days. The most important thing is that the guys have had sufficient time to recover, mentally and physically, and then get back into pre-season to the work that needs to be done there.”
On the new players in the pack…
“Adam [Lawton] is bigger than the units we had last season, while Gil Dudson has come in and set some really standards. He is really standing out as a leader among our middles, alongside Mark Flanagan and Lee Mossop.
“Jansin Turgut will also provide some pace, aggression and ball handling skill to our outer edge.”
On Jake Bibby…
“They are no longer kids now. They are fully fledged first teamers, which is what we kept instilling into them last season and they did in fact grow into that tole as they showed through some really good performances.
“We have already seen a difference in Jake Bibby during this close season compared with last year’s and the players are now seeing him as a genuine contender to hold down a place in the team.
“That is a big positive for both him and the team and he deserves a lot of credit for the way he has conducted himself through this last twelve months.”
On Daniel Murray…
“We’ll be looking to him to be challenging the likes of Lee Mossop and Gil Dudson who, at the moment, have the advantage over him with their longstanding experience. But we shall be looking at Dan, along with Ben Nakubuwai, to be playing more games this coming year and stamping their authority on the team.”
On the transition from last season…
“We have got to kick on like we did that other time. It is all well and good performing in The Qualifiers but we now have to do it against the likes of St Helens, Wigan and Wakefield.
“We are a strong, capable group with the ability to do this, and if we manage each game carefully and get something out of each of them, that momentum will continue to be generated and will take us forward.
On the loop fixtures…
“We have to play all the teams in the league at some point, so we are not going to be worrying about which team is coming up when. We are just going to focus on ourselves and what we can deliver, and we are most confident within the group that we can do well.
“We know that we shall be facing certain additional challenges with having extra games against Wigan, Warrington and Leeds, to name just a few, together with an additional trip all the way down to London. Those are the fixtures and it is our job to go out there and compete in all of them.”
On the shot clock…
“Everything is going to take place in a lot shorter time period, and at a whole lot quicker pace than previously, particularly with the number of interchanges also being reduced even further, from ten to eight.
“It is absolutely great for us, because our middle men are athletic, and we also have a number of forwards who regularly play a large number of minutes anyway, so we are more than happy with these changes.”
 
Tickets for Friday’s game against Huddersfield Giants at John Smiths Stadium are available from the AJ Bell Stadium Ticket Office and over the phone on 0161 786 1570. Ticket prices will rise on gameday so we advise supporters to purchase in advance. Salford Red Devils also retain 25% of any purchase from the The Salford Stadium.
Coach travel is also available to Friday’s game and can be booked at the The Salford Stadium or over the phone on 0161 786 1570. All ticket prices and coach details can be found HERE.

Tickets | First three home games of 2019 now available

Posted on by Luke Wallworth

Tickets for our first three home games of the Betfred Super League season are now on sale. 
Supporters can now buy tickets for our fixtures against London Broncos, Leeds Rhinos and St Helens from the The Salford Stadium Club Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 786 1570 or online by clicking here. 
The Red Devils are set to host newly-promoted London Broncos on Sunday 10th February, 3pm. This is the first game since the Club’s decision to move the majority of our Betfred Super League games to Sundays.
This will also be the first chance to see new signings Ken Sio, Adam Lawton and Gil Dudson in competitive action for the Red Devils. Be sure to purchase your tickets for our home opener of the 2019 season.
Ian Watson’s side are set to face Leeds Rhinos on Sunday 17th February, 3pm kick-off before hosting St Helens on Thursday 28th February, 7:45pm kick-off.
Please remember, you can save money by purchasing your tickets for all three of these games in advance from the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 786 1570 or online here. Ticket prices will rise on gameday.
2019 ticket prices are as follows:

Stand/Area Category Online price Price Gameday Price
South Adult £20.50 £22 £24
  Concession £15.50 £17 £19
  Under 16 £5.50 £7 £9
  Family £42.50 £44 £46
West Adult £26.50 £28 £30
  Concession £20.50 £22 £24
  Under 16 £5.50 £7 £9
Family £53.50 £55 £57
West (VIP) Adult £42.50 £44 £46
Concession £31.50 £33 £35
Under 16 £20.50 £22 £24
Family £86.50 £88 £90

But, 2019 Season Tickets offer the best value for money to see every Red Devils home fixture this season and they are still available to purchase at the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 786 1570 or online HERE.
You can also spread the cost of your 2019 Season Ticket throughout the season thanks to our Direct Debit payment scheme which is available at the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office and over the phone on 0161 786 1570. Online purchases must be done in one payment.

Talking Points | Salford Red Devils 52-6 Swinton Lions

Posted on by Luke Wallworth

Following Salford Red Devils’ comfortable victory over Swinton Lions in their first game of 2019, we take a look at some of the talking points from the fixture.
Attacking threat
The Red Devils ran in eleven tries in a controlled performance against Swinton and the attacking skill Ian Watson’s men possess was on show throughout. Junior Sa’u, Greg Johnson and Joey Lussick all profited from the attacking display crossing for braces while there was also another five Red Devils on the scoresheet.
Sa’u and Johnson’s tries all came on the back of some quick hands out wide. However, there was a number of occasions when Salford broke from deep thanks to the likes of Mark Flanagan, Niall Evalds, Jackson Hastings and young debutant Connor Davies-Aspey.
Flanagan – who began at loose-forward but went on to operate as half – linked up well with Evalds on a number of occasions which led to some great Red Devils tries. Hastings went through the line in almost identical fashion to his debut against Leeds Rhinos last year to set up Sa’u’s second try.
If the Red Devils can continue to cause problems from all over the field, we could see some more excellent tries throughout 2019.
Connor Davies-Aspey
Salford Red Devils Academy player Connor Davies-Aspey was awarded a one-month trial earlier this week and he certainly made the most of his opportunity against Swinton with an impressive cameo in the final twenty minutes of the game.
Davies-Aspey came onto the field and managed to make three clean breaks. His break in the final ten minutes put winger Derrell Olpherts over in the corner and he was close to finishing the game with two try-assists however pulled the trigger a second too early on his pass to Jansin Turgut just minutes earlier.
Head Coach Ian Watson praised the young hooker in his post-match press conference saying it ‘was great for young kid to come in and do that’. Read more of Ian Watson’s reaction here.
Davies-Aspey has certainly put himself in contention for a place in the squad next weekend as the Red Devils face current Betfred Super League champions Wigan Warriors in a pre-season friendly at the The Salford Stadium.
Versatility and depth
After the interval, Ian Watson made four changes to the starting side with Greg Johnson and Derrell Olpherts coming onto the field in place of Ed Chamberlain and Jake Bibby. Both Johnson and Olpherts would go on to score in the second half showing the quality of the Red Devils’ options on the wing this season.
In the pack, the likes of Tyrone McCarthy and Ben Nakubuwai entered the fray and made an impact following impressive forty-minute stints from Lee Mossop and new recruit Gil Dudson in the first half.
Half-back duo Jackson Hastings and Rob Lui both left the field midway through the second half with Mark Flanagan, Joey Lussick and Niall Evalds jumping into the halves. Salford’s try-scoring form didn’t slow down, and the Red Devils continued to look smooth in the absence of a permanent half-back.
The crowd 
On a cold January afternoon fans of both Salford Red Devils and Swinton Lions braved the conditions to watch their sides putting together a solid showing for a pre-season friendly with 1798 people in attendance.
Salford vs Swinton is a fixture – that was Head Coach Ian Watson pointed out earlier in the week – doesn’t happen too often anymore so it has become somewhat of a sought-after attraction. Our Betfred Championship visitors brought a strong following down the road to the The Salford Stadium this weekend while our loyal Red Devils were in fine voice as always showing the passion for the game in the local area.
Next weekend, the Red Devils host another local side in Wigan Warriors, and we’ll be hoping for a similarly strong turnout.
 

Tickets for Salford Red Devils’ next pre-season friendly are available to purchase at the Club Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 786 1570 or online HERE. For a reminder of ticket prices, click HERE.Salford Red Devils 2019 Season Tickets are still available to purchase from the Club Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 786 1570 or online HERE. You can spread the cost via Direct Debit payments, for more details, click HERE.

Ian Watson | “I thought we looked quite smooth”

Posted on by Luke Wallworth

Salford Red Devils got 2019 off to a great start with a 54-6 victory over local rivals Swinton Lions and Head Coach Ian Watson was pleased with various aspects of his side’s performance.

On the game…

I thought it was a good performance and we did what we’ve worked on in the pre-season. We got out of our own half a little bit too easily as we got quite a few penalties on tackle three. I’d have like to see a little more of an arm-wrestle to see more of what we have worked on. But everything that was put in front of the boys they reacted really well to especially when we were making all the changes to mix it up a bit people got plenty of game time.

On adapting following the changes…

I thought we looked quite smooth even when Jackson [Hastings] and Rob [Lui] came off and we put Niall [Evalds] into the halves. We’ve done a bit of practice in training running with different combinations just in case anything happens. We know we’ve got a small squad, but we’ve got players who can play in different positions and that was on show for us against Swinton. 

On Connor Davies-Aspey’s debut…

I was really pleased for him. He’s a baby, to be fair, and I thought he did great. He made a couple of breaks and a little bit of inexperience cost him from making a try for Jansin [Turgut] but he created a nice try for Derrell [Olpherts]. I’m sure he’ll be telling everyone about nearly getting his ribs knocked out as well, but I thought it was great for a young kid to come in and do that.

On fellow triallist – Calvin Wellington…

Calvin did really well coming in at left centre. He has the ability to play on both sides and he transfers the ball really well, but he suits us with him not having a preference as to which side he plays on.

On the players who didn’t feature…

All going well they should be included next weekend against Wigan. With the game being a little different at the moment with the stop clock we wanted our middles to get decent minutes and get used to how it feels to be under the pump and play under the stop clock. That’s why we didn’t make a change in the first half and then let the middles run for a full forty in the second half, also.

On how the players handled the stop clock…

We’ve got players here who are big enough and fit enough to play long minutes if you look at the first half, we had Mark Flanagan, Lee Mossop and Gil Dudson who all did a full forty and handled it really comfortably.

On the stop clock…

It flowed a lot better today. I thought the first ten minutes went really quickly, it used to take a long time to get to the ten-minute mark in some games but today I thought the stop clock helped today and it sped the game up. My thing with it was when you’re watching a game on Sky Sports, they were finishing way beyond 10pm and the game was getting dragged out longer and longer, but I think the stop clock kind of drags that back in really rather than it being stop-start. Hopefully, it’ll make the Betfred Super League more entertaining.

On goal kicking…

No, we’ve no issues there. Ed [Chamberlain] practices religiously so we’ve not got much of a problem with that. It was fairly windy when Ed was out there kicking today. The good thing is last year I don’t think we had a single goal kicker for the majority but now we’ve got a handful of genuine goal kickers – Ed, Jackson, Rob, Joey [Lussick] and Niall likes to put a kick in every now and again. So, we’ve no worries in that department.
 
Tickets for Salford Red Devils’ next pre-season friendly are available to purchase at the Club Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 786 1570 or online HERE. For a reminder of ticket prices, click HERE.
Salford Red Devils 2019 Season Tickets are still available to purchase from the Club Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 786 1570 or online HERE. You can spread the cost via Direct Debit payments, for more details, click HERE.

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💪 #TogetherStronger | 🔴👹

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