In celebration of our recent pair of contract extensions, we’re giving you the chance to win one (or both) players’ signed shirts.
To enter, follow us on either our TikTok or YouTube channel. Or, why not double your chances? Follow us on both platforms and be in with a chance to bag the pair!
The winner(s) will then be chosen at random on Monday 11th September, after which the club will then be in touch to arrange for your shirt. UK entrants only.
A magnificent second half performance proved to be decisive in the Red Devils registering their first win since their victory over Castleford, back in early June, when they proved far too strong and, equally so, able to adapt in defeating the Huddersfield Giants.
So often in recent weeks fans have left games feeling a little disappointed after slender half time leads have been eroded by opponents as the second forty minutes has passed.ย Not so on this occasion, however, with the visitors going from strength to strength, as the game unfolded.
There will have been little surprise, one would suspect, in the Salford ranks at this, with the strongest starting seventeen they have been able to field since the early rounds of the season, and only long-term absentee, Shane Wright, who would undoubtedly have claimed a spot in the team if fit, missing out.
From the very outset there was a sheer determination evident throughout the visitorsโ ranks and they totally dominated the opening exchanges, with Huddersfield being put on the back foot throughout this period. Indeed, Salford did cross for a couple of would-be tries, both of which were chalked off by referee, Liam Moore, and much against the run of play, it was the Giants who opened the scoring on 17 minutes, with a converted try.
This merely served to stiffen the Redsโ resolve, and, within three minute, they had erased it by means of Ryan Brierleyโs steaming onto Brodie Croftโs impeccably delayed/timed pass to go over to the right of the posts, and although Huddersfield restored their lead by two points, it was incredible footwork from Sam Stone, following a great break by Andy Ackers, that put the Red Devils in front for the first time, on 32 minutes.
No-one was getting overly optimistic at half time, with the score line being one of the slenderest of recent weeks. But the mood of the Salford players was unmistakable as they resumed for the second half, and with good reason: that fifteen minutes in the dressing room had determined a total change of tactics, which was to prove to be the undoing of their hosts, who had clearly done their homework on how to defend against Salfordโs wide expansive handling moves.
This had proved to be quite effective in the first half, limiting the Reds to only their two tries. The second half was to be quite different, however, with the boot of Marc Sneyd taking over. Not only did he succeed with converting all of their five try total together with a late penalty after the hooter had gone, his tactical kicking opened up the home defence again and again.
The first came as early as the 42nd minute when a high kick was allowed to bounce and resulted in Ackers adding a second kick overhead for Stone to completely rock the Giants by grounding the ball a split second before it would have gone dead.
Not every kick brought a try but invariably brought rewards of a different variety, such as goal-line drop-outs, knock ons, and good field position.ย One further one, though, did, with Ken Sio grounding in the corner for his long-awaited hundredth Super League try, while Chris Atkin put the icing on the cake after Kallum Watkins and Deon Cross had reminded us of just how good the Reds can be with ball in hand.
What will probably have pleased the coaching staff particularly was the fact that they conceded not a single point after the interval and the Giants had to be content with their one solitary try and couple of goals from the first forty. Not that they did not come close on a couple of occasions, but the Salford defence was equal to each, with last ditch tackles denying them when it looked for all the world that they would score.
So the drought of league points has been brought to an end, and this could be just the victory that will ultimately prove to be the one which turns the season around. It was certainly one of their best all round performances and for the full eighty minutes.
Shane’s a Red Devil until 2026!
After putting pen to paper on a new three year deal, the Aussie back-rower will surely play a pivotal part in Paul Rowley’s team going forward.
We were there to cover what he got up too on his signing day, and here’s some of our favourite snaps, courtesy of club photographer, Steve McCormick.
Shane Wright strolls out of the tunnel to get his promo day underway!
Wright takes in the South-Stander view with a Salford scarf!
Shane Wright films a TikTok for our channel – but I’m not sure he understood the concept.
Our number 17 sits down for an interview upon extending his contract.
The Aussie signs on the dotted line to confirm his stay next to Director of Rugby, Ian Blease.
Blease and Wright are all smiles as the Aussies’ extension is confirmed!
We are delighted to announce Shane Wright has penned a new three-year deal at Salford Red Devils, keeping him at the Club until 2026.
Wright joined the club from North Queensland Cowboys after making 41 NRL appearances and penned a two-year deal at the Salford Stadium.
Since then, the Aussie has made 24 appearances, scored six tries and become a vital part of Paul Rowley’s back row.
Unfortunately, Wright was caught on the wrong side of a tackle against St Helens and is likely to miss the remainder of 2023 with an ankle injury.
Before that, the 27-year-old was in flying form and picked-up the club’s April Player of the Month award, as voted by the supporters.
In reaction to extending his stay with the Red Devils, Wright said: “I am pumped to extend my time here at Salford.
“We have a good group at the moment and the club is heading in the right direction, which I am excited to continue being a part of!”
Head Coach, Paul Rowley has added: “It is great news to keep Shane within the group. He is a young player with lots of potential, and all the drive and determination to reach it.
“He is a fantastic lad and really popular amongst the group. We are all delighted we get the pleasure of working alongside Shane going forward.”
Director of Rugby and Operations, Ian Blease also said: “It is a massive coup for the club to retain Shane’s services for the next three years.
“He is the ultimate professional, conducts himself with utter class and will no doubt play a major role in any future success this team has.
“His excellent form in 2023 was cut so cruelly short, but I know when he returns, it will be a massive boost for his teammates and the coaching staff!”
Everyone at Salford Red Devils would like to congratulate Shane on his new deal!
It had all looked so promising, and confidence was surely high among the Salford fans, as they travelled over to the Totally Wicked Stadium for their clash with the Saints, on the back of four successive Super League victories, including an extremely rare win over Leeds Rhinos, at Headingley.
The Saints, on the other hand, had had a rather less profitable couple of weeks, and were turning out after having undertaken the somewhat demanding sojourn to the south of France, for their away fixture with Catalans Dragons, all of which were most positive indications for everyone to be encouraged.
In the end, however, it is all about what happens on the day, and that went contrary to these optimistic expectations, for the Saints had their own expectations and aspirations for the game โ the expectations of the current World Club Champions to perform to that level – and took control in the second half to record a 26-12 home victory.
Not that anyone would have even thought that that would happen as the Red Devils turned on the style and swept into a twelve-point lead after only sixteen minutes, with two excellent tries. The first came in the fifth minute when a totally unexpected, but magnificent, break by prop, King Vuniyayawa, left the Saints defence in his wake, and with the fleet-footed Brodie Croft in support, he fed the stand -off to go in, under the posts.
Andy Ackers it then was, who, eleven minutes later, put Kallum Watkins away down the right and his inside pass to Ryan Brierley saw, along with Marc Sneydโs second successful conversion attempt, him double the Salford advantage to twelve, which was sufficient for the remaining twenty plus minutes to give them a 6-12 half time lead.
The second half turn around to the home team might lead anyone to regard this as a game of two halves but perhaps, on this occasion an over-simplification, because everything in a game leads on to what follows โ more obviously to the more immediate, but also, to an extent, in the longer term. The loss, for example, of Shane Wright, after a mere few minutes of his introduction denied the team all that he has brought to each game over recent weeks, and also meant that others had to play considerably more minutes, and therefore tired far more quickly as a result.
In fact the roots for this not inconsiderable half time turnaround had been planted during the first half.ย There will have been few in attendance or watching tv, on the day, who would have thought, as Sneyd struck the ball to convert Brierleyโs try that the Red Devils would fail to add to their score for the remainder of the match, but that was what happened and was something that fed into the St Helens game plan
The visitors had been put under spells of pressure from the outset right through to their first score, and then again between their two tries. The Salford players had stood up well throughout each of these, as indeed they did throughout some rather more-lengthy spells thereafter, but the fact that these periods of Saintsโ dominance became more protracted placed greater and greater demands on the players in terms of energy and concentration.
That these periods soaked up so much time was in part due to the St Helens playersโ ability to complete their sets but aided by an increasing number of penalties and set restarts, which went the way of the home side.ย Penalties are seldom awarded against teams in possession, the significant ย majority are against defenders and, as these defenders start to tire, so their tackling technique suffers and the penalties continue to accrue all the more.
By the time the second half had got underway, the continued Saintsโ pressure had started to tell on the Reds, and they immediately conceded yet another penalty, this time whilst in possession, for an incorrect play-the-ball, as early as the third tackle of the half, with a St Helens try coming directly off the back of it.
No-one could possibly question the Red Devilsโ effort and commitment at any time during the encounter – without that there was no way they would have limited St Helens to only twenty-six points – but, in the second half, their execution was well below the standards we have become used to, with handling errors from some most wayward of passes seemingly prevalent, and each one presenting the home side with even more possession with which to challenge the Salford defence.
Forthcoming results may well show that in this match St Helens have turned a corner in their season, and that others will find themselves facing the same onslaught of pressure piled upon them, but for Salford players it is important to learn from the outing and fix the elements necessary for a Challenge Cup victory over visiting Huddersfield, next week.
Shane Wright has been voted Salford Red Devilsโ Player of the Month for April.
In a month where Paul Rowley’s side continued to climb the Betfred Super League table, Wright was one of the standout performers across the month and has scooped the award ahead Ryan Brierley, Kallum Watkins and Ken Sio – who all enjoyed outstanding months.
Despite his energetic and unrelenting effort in defence, the Aussie has also became quite a try machine, with his two crosses in April bumping his tally to four in the 2023 campaign.
His versatility to operate at prop, loose forward or even second-row has been a potent weapon for the Red Devils and he will no doubt continue to play a valuable role as the season progresses.
In reaction to winning the award, Wright said: “A huge thank you to everyone who jumped on and voted. I’m pumped to win the award!”
Got a question for Shane? Head to our social channels to ask it and you may be featured in one of our upcoming videos.
A huge congratulations to Shane for the award!
In what was only the clubโs fifth victory over Leeds at Headingley in seventy-eight years, the Salford Red Devils last Friday night, put that spectre to bed with an outstanding, winning performance, to take the spoils in an increasingly tightly fought battle to cement places in the Super League top six.
There had been an air of confidence and enthusiasm for the encounter, throughout the camp during the week, and on the night the players executed a game plan which drew on every strength within the side, leaving nothing to chance, and exposing any deficiency within their hostsโ ranks.
Whilst their attacking flair, as we knew it from last season, still lies awaiting the dry grounds, they have replaced it with an efficiency in defence of which Salford fans have not had experience for many a long year, and thereby rests a significant factor in the reasons for the paucity in post-war wins over there.
Looking back over the game without the anxieties which must have occasionally surfaced in some, whilst watching on the night, we can all appreciate just how good a game it was throughout, with both sides having their periods of ascendency.
Salfordโs were probably the more prolonged, and certainly the more effective, because it was in these spells of dominance, with more than adequate possession in the Rhinosโ red zone, that their match winning twenty-two points were scored. The effect on the home side of all this pressure was to force errors, particularly errors of discipline, leading to penalties and, consequently, even more pressure.
The first of these came in the twelfth minute, when after an opening ten-minute arm wrestle, in which flaws in the home sideโs handling started to become evident, Salford won, forcing a goal-line drop-out and a subsequent repeat set.
It was, however, the sin-binning in the 18th minute, of Leedsโs stand-off, Austin, for an obstruction on Kallum Watkins, which brought things to a head, with the Red Devils then tearing their opponents defence to shreds to notch two converted tries, through first, Rhys Williams, after they had got their attacking line in full flow, and then, five minutes later, the ball being moved to the left and Sam Stone showing great skill to avoid attempted tackles before going over to the left of the posts.
Their second period of dominance came in the third quarter, when they increased a six-point, half-time lead to what was to be a match-determining sixteen, courtesy of a converted try and two penalty goals.
The Rhinos, nevertheless, had their moments, though for somewhat shorter spells. Their first came in the final ten minutes of the first half when they changed tactics by reverting to some daring, and some risky, offloads, which on the night stuck, none more than in the run up to their 38th minute try, under the posts.
Similarly, the Yorkshiremen gained the ascendency for the concluding fifteen minutes, when they were rejuvenated by a further six-pointer in the corner by getting on the end of a cross-field kick to set up, though as it turned out to be, an unnecessary nail-biting conclusion to the encounter โ unnecessary, of course, because the Salford defence was equal to anything the Rhinos could thereafter muster to throw at it.
And that defence is now becoming a weapon in their armoury that no-one, outside the group, had probably expected. It has, though, been increasingly evident over a number of matches, culminating in that home victory over Catalans, which will have stood them in great stead in readiness for this encounter, for yet again the pack had to contend with, and actually subdue, a much larger and powerful opposing set.
Led by their opening middles, King Vuniyayawa, who must have relished every moment of facing up to his former club, Ollie Partington, who so noticeably showed the knack of putting himself in the right position to dictate plays, and Tyler Dupree, fresh from international duty. They were ably replicated by the trustworthy Jack Ormondroyd, and Shane Wright, whose form this season has been absolute revelation.
Kallun Watkins made a captainโs contribution showing such strength and determination in his running, but mention also has to be made of the contribution of Ellis Longstaff, who had to be drafted into the unfamiliar role of centre, and acquitted himself well throughout, even going over the third of the visitorsโ three tries.
Finally, it would be remiss not to mention the significant role of Marc Sneyd, whose kicking, especially goal-kicking, week after week, can so significantly make the difference between winning and losing. It seems now to be even falling into the dim and distant past, at Leigh actually, since he last missed a goalkick, and his two penalty successes against the Rhinos, were, points-wise, the equivalent of an additional try.
So, it is onwards, next week, to the Totally Wicked Stadium, where against the World Club Champions it will require everything on view from the Reds at Leeds, and who knows what more besides, to overcome the Saints. After this latest victory, their fourth in a row, however, they certainly will not be short on confidence.
Itโs time for you to vote for your April Player of the Monthโฆ
The international break is upon us, so after ten games, it is a perfect time for everyone to pause and reflect on the season so far.
April was month where Paul Rowley’s side made real progression. We picked-up three hard-fought wins against Leigh Leopards, Castleford Tigers and Catalans Dragons, while we also welcomed back some valuable players from injury.
But despite such a strong team effort, four players stood out above the rest in this month.
The first is Shane Wright – who has turned into quite a try-machine recently. After bagging a brace against Hull FC last month, he has scored a further two against Huddersfield and Castleford in April.
His all-round performance has been outstanding, with the Aussie also nominated for the Glen’s Super League April Player of Month, earlier this week.
Ken Sio – despite picking up another injury before our Round 10 clash – has made a massive impact across April. His electric speed and skill gives Salford a potent weapon on the right and will no-doubt finish the campaign as one of our top try scorers.
Earning back-to-back nominations, Ryan Brierley is continuing to prove why he is one of the best full-backs in the Betfred Super League.
And last but certainly not least is Kallum Watkins, who continues to show on and off the field why he was chosen to be Club captain at the beginning of 2023.
Soโฆ who gets your vote? Let us know by voting in the poll below!
Despite another short turn around after their victory over Leigh, the previous Saturday, Salford Red Devils, yet again in front of the television cameras, on Thursday evening, cemented their place in the current top six, with a hard-fought victory over the improving Castleford Tigers.
It is a notable tribute to the team that on the back of their tremendous performances in the later stages of last season, the SKY Sports team have targeted showing the Red Devilsโ matches with some quite considerable regularity over the start of this season, and although it was an evening with both defences on top, the team did not disappoint in terms of dedication, effort, and, above all, winning.
True, the scoreline was on the low side, but on a cold evening, in a biting wind, the players did extremely well to produce a performance full of attacking ideas and handling ploys, which on a summerโs day may well have brought about a rather higher return in terms of points. No-one could deny the quality of their slick inter-passing, which tested the Castleford defence, time and again. They just needed to have retained possession in attack for longer than the solitary sets they produced in order to wear the Tigersโ defence down.
It was therefore down to their defensive effort of limiting the visitors to a solitary try in the third minute and thereafter holding them pointless for the remaining seventy-seven, which brought them the two league points. It was not necessarily their midfield line-defence which was most noteworthy, more their scrambling defence which brought some absolutely valiant efforts from a number of individuals.
As early as the 17th minute a magnificent triple effort, started by Sam Stone, and quickly supported by Andy Ackers and Ryan Brierley, prevented a Cas try being scored by Milner thanks to their holding him back, a whisker from the line. Two minutes from the interval the timely arrival of Tyler Dupree, at full pace, was enough to force Eden onto the touchline, thereby making his considerable athleticism in the subsequent grounding, irrelevant.
Similar efforts continued into the second half, when first, Marc Sneydโs last ditch tackle on Evalds caused the fullback to lose control of the ball has he sought to ground it between the posts on 49 mins, followed up some 14 mins later by another tackle on Milner just short of the line, this time by Wright, followed by the intervention again of Brierley to prevent his endeavours to roll over and ground the ball over the line.
There were also some significant pieces of individual skill, which might on occasions go unnoticed, or which we sometimes take for granted. Joe Burgessโs 8th minute, high level take of the ball in the air, which, on landing, he followed up with a half break through the visitorsโ defence to clear the danger, was one such of these, likewise, Kallum Watkinsโs midfield sideways run and offload, under pressure, to free up Brierley to continue the build up to Brodie Croftโs try under the posts, on 36 minutes.
Probably most eye-catching of all however was Brierleyโs feat of collecting the ball on 52 minutes, behind his own line, to then turn the speedy Eden inside out with some incredible footwork and then cap it all with an offload to Ken Sio, as another Castleford player bore down on him. Everything about it had the hallmarks of absolute class.
Even Salfordโs two-try total could well have been double that, had they been just a little more fortunate. The referral of Sneydโs 23rd minute grounding to the video-ref saw it disallowed as it became apparent that, after his short kick through, the ball had bounced up to touch his arm, thus being adjudged as a knock on. Similarly, 44 minutes into the second half, Sam Stone was denied a try with, this time, Chris Atkin having fumbled a loose ball forward in his attempt to gather it up.
Nevertheless, there was to be no denying the Red Devils for the two tries which were to count. In what had been their best period that far, spanning the second quarter, it culminated in Brierley racing down the right wing, from Watkinsโs pass, to put in the best, and most rewarding, kick of the half, for Croft to take a grasp of it as it stood up beautifully for him to go over for his teamโs opener.
Shane Wright has been growing in notoriety over recent weeks having already notched up three tries against Hull (2) and Leigh. With 56 minutes on the clock, he latched onto Sneydโs beautifully timed short pass to surge over the line, between the posts and with Sneyd then having converted both tries, he had the opportunity to open up a two score, eight-point, match-winning lead, when Milner was penalised for tackling Ollie Partington without the ball, ten minutes from the end.
Even with a fully fit squad from which to select, it would have been regarded as a considerable achievement for the Salford Red Devils to have gone to the Leigh Sports Village for the second time in only two months, and come back with a victory, for, in the meantime, their hosts have been busily building up quite a reputation for themselves throughout Super League, with impressive victories over a number of sides including current Super League, and World Club, Champions, St Helens.
That, however, was far from the case, since the Red Devils’ squad had been so decimated over the interim period that, to an extent, the team had virtually picked itself, primarily on grounds of availability, thus making this Rivals Round success all the more impressive, and the sweeter.
Even the manner in which the game unfolded presented a number of significant adversities for them, not least the sin-binning of fullback, Ryan Brierley, on 48 mins, and it could not have come at a worse time with the Leopards having returned to the fray, following the half time interval, refreshed and ready to take the game to the Reds, at full steam.
So, as Brierly reluctantly trekked his way across the width of the field, there must have been many hearts in mouths, among the Salford Faithful, many of whom must have been expecting the very worst.ย Damage limitation was about as much as one could expect, with the home sideโs job having been made all the simpler, with the Reds, as a result, having to hold out for as long as possible against the numerical superiority facing them.
Yet, when the Salford fullback eventually returned to contest it was to an actually increased lead of two extra points, at 10-22, having eradicated Briscoeโs 53rd minute try, and expanded upon it with a Tyler Dupree special under the posts on 58 mins, from Marc Sneydโs shrewd short pass, which he then converted.
Indeed, apart from hitting the post with his first, touchline attempt, Sneydโs goalkicking was to prove crucial in the final result, and had they chosen to do so, they could have made their winning margin somewhat greater, with them deciding to run the ball on two late penalties close to the posts, rather than electing to take the kicks.
As might have been expected the Leigh side to took the field, most determined in manner, and although the Red Devils matched them in the opening arm wrestle, a misunderstanding between Danny Addy and King Vuniyayawa presented Leigh with their first attacking opportunity, which they clinically took by opening up an overlap on the left flank for Charnley to cross in the corner for a try, which was eventually increased to six points, five minutes later, with a penalty goal.
As was later to happen on a number of occasions, however, the game began to swing to the opposition, this time towards the Reds with their gaining three back-to-back sets from a combination of a Leigh handling error, penalty, and set restart giving them great field position and ample possession to attack the home line, culminating with a try from Ken Sio, from a typical Brierley kick into the corner.
That proved to herald one of those attacking purple patches which Salford fans had come to enjoy so frequently at the climax to last season, with the Red Devils enjoying plenty more possession to tease Leighโs line-defence, before some fabulous footwork from second rower, Sam Stone, put him through to score his first points for Salford, against his former club.
So often, in those halcyon days of summer 2022, it was the back-to-back tries, which sorely hurt opponents back then, and that is just what they served up on this occasion, with what certainly many Salford fans will have thought to be the try of the match.
It started with man-of-the-match, Chris Atkin, not for the first time this season filling in at three separate positions over his time on field, dummying his way through a gap before handing on to the supporting Shane Wright, who went thirty metres up the field to set up Brodie Croft to sprint the remaining twenty to the posts, with his outpacing all despairing attempts to overhaul him.
Leighโs second half recovery did narrow their deficit first to 10-16, and later 14-22, and kept them in the game, but the ascendency was, in the main, with the Red Devils, who, with a two-score winning margin could afford to keep their calm, run the clock down and keep the pressure on the Leopards.
Leighโs final, last minute try, came far too late for it to make any difference to the outcome, with a mere eleven seconds left, at the final restart.ย They had, nevertheless, contributed to an enthralling contest, which had ebbed and flowed from one to the other, and there is clearly little between the two sides, as the results of both encounters show. This is all to the good for both clubs and their fans, engendering a greater interest, and degree of competitiveness, in the locality, which will be continued once more, as the intensity of the competition for top six places hots up, just in time for their visit to the Salford Stadium, in mid-July.
Our ๐ September POTM nominees!
Make sure to cast your vote below! ๐
๐ #OnThisDay in 2020, we booked our place at Wembley Stadium for the first time in 51 years! ๐
๐ธ From opening day success against Leigh Leopards, to golden point drama against Warrington Wolves - the 2023 season was full of memorable moments.
Let's see and hear some of yours in the comments! ๐
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