Salford and Richard Marshall part ways

Salford Red Devils can confirm that Richard Marshall has left the club by mutual consent.ย 

Arriving from St. Helens last year where he was assistant coach, Marshall took the reins at Salford ahead of the 2021 Betfred Super League season, which the Red Devils finished in 11th place.

Salford Red Devils would like to thank Richard Marshall for his efforts this season and we wish him and his family all the best for the future.

The club will make no further comment at this time.

Ikahihifo to return to Giants

Salford Red Devils can confirm that loanee Seb Ikahihifo will return to Huddersfield Giants for 2022, after two seasons with us.

The 30-year-old arrived at the The Salford Stadium ahead of the 2020 season and helped Salford reach their first Challenge Cup Final in 51 years.

Ikahihifo, who made 28 appearances in a Salford shirt, said: “Iโ€™ve had a great two years here at Salford, Iโ€™ve really enjoyed playing in front of the Salford faithful who have been behind me and the team every single time we run out.

I feel like Iโ€™ve developed my game a lot here, and Iโ€™d like to thank everyone involved at the club for the last two seasons.โ€

Salford Red Devils head coach Richard Marshall commented: “Seb has been a valued member of our squad, his impact off the bench for the team was superb.

“He always gave 100 % and certainly left everything out on the field. We understand the move to Huddersfield suits both parties and we wish him well with the giants.โ€

Director of rugby and operations Ian Blease added: “I thank him for his two years of effort playing for the Red Devils. I believe we have developed him as a player and given him time to change his game and progress with us.

“I’d also like to thank Richard Thewlis and the Giants for allowing us to work with Seb these past two seasons.”

Give Ikahihifo a send-off by joining us at the annual Player Awards night on Wednesday 22nd September. Purchase a ticket HERE.

Greenwood – “I’m looking forward to the next few seasons”

Salford Red Devils are delighted to announce that James Greenwood has signed a two-year contract extension, with the option of a third.

Our number 21 joined the club permanently in 2020 having spent a short loan spell at Salford in 2015, and helped the Red Devils reach their first Challenge Cup Final since 1969 last season, scoring a try at Wembley.

Speaking on his contract extension, Greenwood, who is sponsored by Salford Rum, said: โ€œIt was a simple decision for me to extend my stay, Iโ€™ve really enjoyed my time so far at Salford.

โ€œIโ€™m focused on doing my part for the team and giving it 100% for the fans every game. Iโ€™m looking forward to the next few seasons as we all look to push on and improve from this year.”

Salford Red Devils head coach Richard Marshall said:ย  “James has been a pleasure to work with this year. It’s been no coincidence that the games we’ve played well in this season have involved James.

“I think he can further develop next year in what will be an exciting and fit pack. He could well be the cornerstone of that group after a good preseason and further emerge as a leader down the line.”

Director of Rugby and Operations, Ian Blease, said: “I’m delighted that Greeny has extended his stay here at Salford, he’s a brilliant individual and a quality player.

“I know he’s had a bit of bad luck this season with his injuries, but he’s been working hard off the field and with a good preseason, he’ll be back in top form in 2022.”

SALFORD SIGN YOUNG HOOKER AMIR BOUROUH

Salford Red Devils are delighted to announce the signing of Wigan Warriors hooker Amir Bourouh on a two-year deal, with the option of a further year.

The 20-year-old made his Betfred Super League debut against Salford in 2019 for Wigan, going on to make 7 appearances for the Warriors before being loaned out to Betfred Championship side Halifax Panthers this year.

Bourouh, who will arrive at Salford at the end of the year, has impressed during his 11 appearances for Halifax, scoring two tries and picking up a Man of the Match award in the Panthers’ 17-16 victory over Widnes Vikings in July.

Speaking on signing for the club, Bourouh said: “Iโ€™m really excited to play for the club and in front of the Salford fans.

“After speaking with Richard (Marshall) and Ian (Blease) and seeing their ambition for the future, my decision was easily made.

“I want to challenge myself in the Super League and hopefully contribute to success in years to come.”

Salford Red Devils head coach Richard Marshall, who was head coach at Halifax from 2015 to 2019, said: “Amir is a promising young hooker who Iโ€™ve been monitoring for a while. Heโ€™s shone during his loan spell at Halifax and after speaking with my connections there, they were very impressed with him and couldnโ€™t speak highly enough of his qualities.

“There was quite a bit of interest in Amir and we are certainly pleased he has chosen us to continue his development. He will work really well with Andy Ackers and I am looking forward to working with him over preseason and beyond.”

Director of rugby and operations Ian Blease added: “I was so excited when I watched Amir live this season, more so in a player that Iโ€™ve not seen for some time.

“He’s a young gun looking to progress at Super League level but we will look after him the โ€˜Salford Wayโ€™ and let him develop his true potential with us in the long term deal we have agreed.

I canโ€™t wait to start to develop something special at the club with Amir, heโ€™s got it all. We will give him the platform to get to the top.”

Bourouh is the latest addition to Marshall’s squad ahead of the 2022 season, with halfbacks Ata Hingano and Brodie Croft also recently signing for Salford.

Red Devils recruitment is brought to you by Morson.

SALFORD WIN THE RACE FOR BRISBANE HALFBACK BRODIE CROFT

Salford Red Devils are delighted to announce that Brisbane Broncos halfback Brodie Croft has signed on a two-year deal.

The Red Devils had competition for Croft’s signature but the 24-year-old has chosen Salford as his new home and will arrive at the end of the year.

The Australian made his NRL professional debut in 2016 for Melbourne Storm, where he spent three years in the halves before moving to Brisbane Broncos in 2019.

Croft won the World Club Challenge with Melbourne in 2018 and was part of the Storm side that made the NRL Grand Final that year.

Croft has featured quite predominantly for the Broncos since his debut in 2020 and will bring with him into Richard Marshall’s squad some valuable experience despite still being quite young.

On signing for Salford, Croft said: “Iโ€™m super excited about this opportunity to join the Red Devils. Rich (Richard Marshall) has been very thorough and bold with the ambitions going forward at the club and I cannot wait to get started. My partner Safina, son Haris and myself are looking forward to moving at the end of the year to begin this new journey together!

I’m also really looking forward to meeting the Salford faithful next season, who I’ve heard are some of the loudest and most passionate fans in the league. I see the restrictions have just lifted in the UK, which is great news! It would be great to see as many people in the stands again as possible, to help the club come out of the pandemic together and finish the year strong both on and off the field.”

Speaking on the acquisition of Croft, Salford Red Devils head coach Richard Marshall said: “We’re delighted to get Brodie over the line as he’s been a player we’ve been working on for a while now.

Brodie has consistently competed at the top level in the NRL and he will add further quality in the halves for us. Despite his talent, he is still quite young so he will only develop and improve.

Having spoken to Brodie at length, he is looking forward to coming over to represent the Red Devils. He will certainly improve our squad and his attention to detail and knowledge of our team is impressive already.”

Director of rugby and operations Ian Blease played a pivotal role in bringing Croft to Salford, and added: “Brodie coming to the Red Devils is up there with any singing in recent times for this club. It has taken a long period of time to get this deal done but I am so pleased to get a player of Brodies quality and class officially across the line.

ย “Brodie can come to the Red Devils and enjoy his rugby league again. He is still only a young halfback and after speaking with him over the last few weeks, he has the determination to come to the club and push us on with our ambition. It will be tremendous to see him don the Red Devils shirt next season and beyond.”

Red Devils recruitment is brought to you by our official club partner Morson.

CAPTAIN LEE MOSSOP FORCED TO RETIRE THROUGH MEDICAL ORDERS

Salford Red Devils can confirm that skipper Lee Mossop has been forced to retire with immediate effect following medical orders.

Prop Mossop joined Salford in 2017 from Wigan Warriors and became captain in 2018. Throughout his career, Mossop has had 11 reconstruction operations on his shoulders to try and prolong his career as much as possible.

Although we are sad to see our skipper go, we have, and will, fully support Moose in the next stages of his life as he prepares for a career outside of rugby league.

Walking into the The Salford Stadium off the back of the 2016 campaign that almost saw Salford relegated to the Betfred Championship, Mossop played a pivotal role in changing the fortunes at the club with the recent success of the last two years.

In 79 appearances for the Red Devils, the prop scored 7 tries – a few of those in big games.

Moose captained Salford to our first ever Grand Final in 2019, scoring a massive try against his former club Wigan at the DW Stadium in the Semi-Final.

The following season, the 32-year-old led Salford out at Wembley for their first Betfred Challenge Cup Final appearance in 51 years.

Speaking on his retirement and his time at the club, Mossop said: “Itโ€™s with great sadness that today I have to announce my retirement from rugby league. Itโ€™s been no secret that I have struggled with shoulder issues the majority of my career but after seeing the surgeon last week, he has told me there are no more surgeries he can offer to help prolong my career anymore and instead, it will be one final operation to give me a better quality of life with my wife and young children.

“Iโ€™d like to thank firstly my family and friends who have supported me through my career, the clubs and supporters I have represented and the players who I have shared a field with.

I joined this club in 2017, planning on only being here one year as I thought Iโ€™d be forced to retire then but with a lot of hard work from the coaches and physio staff here, Iโ€™ve managed to represent this club for almost 5 seasons and been lucky enough to make some unbelievable memories for a club that I now love!

“I was lucky enough to lead this team out in a Grand Final with my little girls, which will always be one of my main highlights of my career. The fans have been fantastic to play in front of and the most passionate I have met.

“On behalf of me and my family, I thank Salford Red Devils and everyone associated with it for 5 incredible years. We will always owe a debt of gratitude to you.”

Salford Red Devils head coach Richard Marshall said: “What a fantastic career Lee leaves behind. Any good leader or captain’s purpose is to leave the shirt, club and environment in a better place. Well Moose ticks all those boxes. Since my first week at the club he has been a pleasure to work with. His passion for the team is unwavering. He leads by example both on and off the field.

This has not been an easy decision and more so when itโ€™s taken out of your hands. He told me a few weeks ago that this was likely to end his career but said he would wear the shirt for as long as possible. Unfortunately, the time came when he couldnโ€™t carry on. The consultant was adamant he had to finish due to chronic shoulder problems that have plagued him for several years. Being the true professional he is, he tore up preseason and started well. However, the game is unforgiving and it was simply too much to keep backing up.

“Lee leaves behind a great career and memories of trophy wins, overseas success and international honours. He should be proud of all he has achieved and more so the person he is today which has been shaped by all his experiences. We wish himself Chloe, Eden , Nancy and Flynn all the success in the future and a wonderful restful retirement.”

Director of rugby and operations Ian Blease added: “This is really sad news for Lee and the club, but I would like to put on record how Lee has been the ultimate skipper and supreme professional for the club since his arrival in 2017. I spoke to Lee retiring early in the week and I was truly gutted for him. It was a very emotional dressing room after the game on Friday against Wigan when he told the rest of team that he was hanging his boots up for good immediately. To see professional rugby league players sharing that emotion with Lee will be something that we all remember forever .

“As a natural leader, Lee has epitomised our club’s desire and ambition to compete at the highest level, not forgetting Lee leading us to our first Grand Final appearance and our first Challenge Cup appearance for over 50 years. Lee knows he is making the right decision for himself and his family now so he can have a quality of life after rugby. I totally respect his decision and it will be a hard task to replace a leader like Moose.”

“I’m enjoying my rugby” – Rhys Williams extends contract

Salford Red Devils are pleased to announce that winger Rhys Williams has extended his contract until at least the end of the 2023 season.ย 

The Welshman joined the club from London Broncos ahead of the 2020 season and helped Salford reach their first Betfred Challenge Cup Final in 51 years, scoring one of the most standout Wembley tries in the history of the competition.

In 38 appearances, Williams has scored 11 tries for Salford and has been one of the most consistent players in the squad since his arrival last year.

Speaking on why he decided to extend his stay, Williams said: “Iโ€™m enjoying my rugby. As long as Iโ€™m happy and Iโ€™m enjoying being around the team and working hard for them, then thatโ€™s good enough for me.

“I pride myself on my consistency and professionalism, and I aim to continue bringing that every week to put in a good performance come game day.”

The 31-year-old has had little experience of the Salford faithful before COVID-19 hit, so Williams is looking forward to playing in front of unrestricted crowds again.

I’m very excited. It was hard times with no crowds, especially at Wembley, so to get out on front of the fans is such a buzz and another reason why I wanted to commit to another 2 years.”

Speaking on Rhys’ย  contract extension, head coach Richard Marshall said: “Iโ€™m delighted to have Rhys extend his stay here at Salford, as one of my main goals for 2022 and onwards is to keep the core of our squad together.

โ€œRhys is an established international player and is consistently good on the wing each week. Iโ€™m looking forward to building on the great relationship I already have with him.โ€

Director of rugby and operations Ian Blease added: “I am delighted in getting Rhys to agree a new deal with the Salford Red Devils. Rhys has been up there as one of our best players for the last few years and has been a tremendous acquisition for the club since we signed him.

“An ultimate professional with ambition to win every game, he is a player with an exemplary attitude, with total and absolute commitment for our club. ย I am so pleased that Iโ€™ve been able to agree the deal that will keep Rhys at the club for the next two years.”

Join Rhys at the The Salford Stadium on Friday 13th August when we host Huddersfield Giants for Round 19 of the Betfred Super League. Buy your tickets HERE.

Date for Huddersfield fixture amended

Salford Red Devils’ Betfred Super League Round 19 home clash against Huddersfield Giants, originally scheduled for Sunday 15th August, has now been brought forward and will be contested on Friday 13th August, kick-off 7:30pm.

The date of the fixture has been amended to allow enough time for the possibility of fulfilling another previously postponed fixture before our away trip to Leigh Centurions on Sunday 22nd August.

Tickets purchased for the original date will remain valid. Any Salford fans who have purchased match tickets for the original date but can no longer attend and require a refund, please email ticketoffice@ajbellstadium.co.uk for assistance.

This will be the first time Ian Watson returns to the The Salford Stadium since his departure at the end of 2020, so the fixture promises to be an exciting affair. Tickets are available for purchase here.

Rewatch the last time we played Giants, which saw Marshall’s men leave the John Smith’s Stadium with the two points, on RDTV now.

Atkin pens new deal

Salford Red Devils are delighted to announce that Chris Atkin has signed a two-year contract extension with the option for a third.ย 

Atkin has impressed since he arrived from Hull Kingston Rovers last year, and despite what has been a slow start to the season for the Red Devils, the 28-year-old has been one of Salford’s standout performers in 2021.

The number 18 has got himself on the scoreboard a handful of times already this season, recently scoring the winning drop goal in a hard-fought away victory over Ian Watson’s Huddersfield Giants.

Speaking on extending his Salford stay, Atkin said: “It was an easy decision to make when I sat down with the club. Salford has quickly become my home since I arrived here last year and everyone at Salford has always made me feel welcome and valued, our loyal fans included.

“I’ve enjoyed my time here so far, we’ve got a brilliant setup at Salford and I’m really looking forward to the future.”

Speaking on Atkin’s contract extension, head coach Richard Marshall said: “I’m really pleased to see Chris pen a new deal with us, he’s a quality player and a brilliant individual off the field.

“Heโ€™s been one of our most improved players this year and has really bought into our plans and the direction that our club is heading.”

Director of rugby and operations Ian Blease added: “To have Chris with us for the next two years, possibly three, is fantastic news for all involved at Salford.

“Chris is a key member of the squad and it’s great to know that he will continue to be!

“We are continuing our search for more additions for 2022 as we aim to push on from our success in recent years.”

Join Atkin at The Mend-A-Hose Jungle on Sunday afternoon, by purchasing a ticket for our Betfred Super League away clash against Castleford Tigers.

RED DEVILS IN DEPTH: SALFORD v WARRINGTON

It is a widely accepted view, among coaches and officials within the game, that if you can score eighteen points it should put you in a good position to win.ย  That opinion, however, fell completely flat for Salford, in their latest Betfred Super League outing against the Warrington Wolves.ย  So what went wrong?

Well, the other side of the score-line tells a different story because by conceding the massive total of sixty-two points it shows the quite lamentable failings of their defence, which had earned such praise over recent weeks.

Not that we needed the score to point that out, for these failings were clearly evident to all and sundry, as the Wolves, particularly through the first and last quarters of the game, ran rampant through it for try after try.ย  It does, nevertheless, show that there were certain aspects of Salfordโ€™s performance which were not far short from the mark; there just were not enough of them.

If there were just one solitary reason for such an about turn in the efficacy of their defence, it would be relatively easy to put right, but that is never the case.ย  Head Coach, Richard Marshall, in his after-match reviews, has identified a number of significant issues, not least of which was the number of enforced absentees, many of whom were our most senior and influential players.

In addition to that, though there were two aspects of the context in which the game took place, a mere glance back over the past three weeks shows the Red Devils having been taken into Golden Point extra-time by Castleford โ€“ as if the standard eighty had not been demanding enough.

This was followed by an unenviable trip to St Helens to muscle up against the Super League Champions.ย  Then finally, after a very short turn around they held the Wigan Warriors at bay for seventy-seven minutes.ย  This clearly had taken so much out of them that they had practically nothing left in the tank.

Then, there was Warrington. ย Marshall says that they were white hot, and who could argue with that.ย  It was the sheer speed at which they played the game, and the accuracy with which they executed their plays, that caused so much damage, as our players struggled fruitlessly for twenty minutes to come to terms with it.

How the Wolves must have prepared for this.ย  Five consecutive defeats over the last two seasons, culminating with that ignominious exit from the Challenge Cup, last October, just a couple of minutes away from a return to Wembley, must have rankled greatly with them for months.ย  They clearly had scores to settle, and there were going to be no surprises this time around. ย Within a minute and a half, they had crossed for the opening try.

With Gareth Widdop running amok, they scythed through the Salford line, almost at will, and by eighteen minutes had that exact same number of points on the board.ย  To be fair, they were well contained in the middle of the field; it was when the ball went further out wide that the gaps appeared or an overlap was worked, and that continued to be the case in the later period of the second half.

Thankfully, the introduction of a couple of fresh players from the bench, on twenty minutes did work wonders, and suddenly the visitors were pushed into a few handling errors, which gave Salford rather more possession, and they gained a foothold in the game.ย  For the remainder of the half it was the Red Devils who were calling the shots as they sought to get back into the game.

For substitute, Sam Luckley, it will have been a very bitter-sweet experience for him, on his Super League debut.ย  In one respect, it will be a match, like everyone else, he will want to forget, but on the other hand he brought some significant go-forward to the proceedings, and if he will learn to be a little more selective with his offloads at this level, he will have a lot to offer over the coming season.

If Warrington could score eighteen points in as many minutes, the Red Devils came pretty close to doing the same themselves.ย  It started with back-to-back sets on the visitorsโ€™ twenty metre line, which saw Morgan Escare spring a surprise on everyone by putting in a short kick on the very first tackle of the second set, chase and collect, only to be denied by a last-ditch tackle which prevented him from grounding the ball on the right side of the try line.

Even though it had not succeeded in opening the Redsโ€™ account, it did provide a little encouragement to the rest of the team, whilst giving Warrington something to think about, and it was only a matter of minutes before their lead was eroded into.

One of their own errors not only ended an assault on the Salford line but it provided Ken Sio with possession, and he promptly covered the ninety-five metres along the touchline to score in the corner, to which Harvey Livett added the extras from the touchline.

The irrepressible Livett was then on hand to finish off a right to left passing move with a converted try of his own, to double their score, and the Wolvesโ€™ composure started to look a little strained.ย  It only needed for the Red Devils to hold onto that differential, and then build upon it in the second half, and we might have been looking at a rather different outcome.

As it was, and as we all know, that singularly did not happen, and a Warrington try seconds before the interval, followed by another in the first sixty seconds of the second half, was a real setback but even then they managed to muster a further converted try from Darcy Lussick.

It was, eventually, an eighteen-minute period during which they were reduced to twelve men by two sin-binnings, and briefly to eleven when these overlapped, that the game went completely away from them.

Warrington took advantage of these reduced numbers to run in four tries and they really turned the screw from there on, to leave everyone associated with Salford disconsolate and despondent, at the final whistle from the size of the defeat.

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