Salford Red Devils are delighted to confirm the signing of vastly experienced back Krisnan Inu.
Following an emphasis on our Squad Builder scheme, the Club have committed to making one more big signing and you can now commit to helping the Club continue to grow and compete by joining our Squad Builder initiative before the deadline on Sunday 31st March.
Inu had seven successful seasons in the NRL with Parramatta Eels, New Zealand Warriors and Canterbury Bulldogs featuring in the 2015 NRL Grand Final for the latter. Scoring over 60 tries and 130 goals, Inu earned caps for New Zealand and Samoa while playing in the NRL.
A brief stint in Rugby Union with Stade Francais was followed by a move to Catalans Dragons and, more recently, Widnes Vikings for whom he averaged a try every other game before being released due to their relegation.
Salford Red Devils Head Coach, Ian Watson, said: “Krisnan is a high-quality addition to our back-line who we spoke to in pre-season and are now really pleased to have brought to the Club.
“He has a proven record in both the NRL and Super League so when Krisnan became available it was important for us at the Club to sign him in order to lift the levels of competition and quality within our squad.
“We are hoping after a couple of setbacks we can get Krisnan back to his best and back to enjoying his Rugby League.”
Salford Red Devils Director of Rugby and Operations, Ian Blease, said: “We have been speaking and working hard with Krisnan over the past few months, so to finally be able to bring him to the Club is fantastic.
“Krisnan has played at the highest level domestically and internationally and is a really strong addition to an already competitive squad.
“He’s extremely versatile across the back-line and I’m confident we can bring the best out of him on the field for the remainder of the 2019 season.
“Big credit has to go to our supporters who have backed our Squad Builder initiative as this has been huge in helping us get Krisnan over the line and I’d like to see them continue to support this scheme ahead of next week’s deadline.”
Inu will be available for selection as Salford Red Devils get ready to take on Wakefield Trinity on Sunday 31st March at the Mobile Rocket Stadium.
Tag: Signing
Adam Walker joins Salford Red Devils
In today’s edition of the Manchester Evening News, it was exclusively revealed that prop-forward Adam Walker has joined Salford Red Devils.
Walker hasn’t played since testing positive for cocaine whist at Wakefield Trinity in 2017, but the now reformed character has the chance to make an impact once again; an opportunity that isn’t lost on him.
The 27-year-old said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have a club for the 2019 season and I’m extremely grateful to Salford Red Devils for giving me this opportunity.
“From day one speaking to Director of Rugby and Operations Ian Blease and Head Coach Ian Watson I could see that Salford – as a Club – have some real strong beliefs and values that centre around the community and doing good in the local area. I knew straight away that this was the kind of club I wanted to be at.
“I’ve not been perfect in the past. I don’t think anyone is. But you need to learn from your mistakes and develop as a person and player afterwards.
“It’s been a tough few years for myself not being able to play the sport I love on a regular basis. I was suffering from some mental health issues at the time which in turn led to me making a big mistake. I don’t want to use that as an excuse, I accepted and learnt from my punishment.
“In my time away from the game I feel like I’ve matured a lot. I honestly feel I’ve turned the corner, I’ve regained my love for the sport back and I’m ready for the next chapter.
“At a club like Salford, I’ve got the best opportunity to continue to grow as a person by going into the community, talking about the lessons I’ve learnt and promoting Rugby League in a positive manner.
“The sport of Rugby League has been very good to me. The support I received from the RFL, in particular Emma Rosewarne, was brilliant and really helped me on my road to recovery. I’ve now been offered a second chance and it’s up to me to make sure I grab it with both hands.”
Bradford-born Walker began his career with Huddersfield Giants but spent the majority on loan with Barrow Raiders and Swinton Lions. However, it was at Hull Kingston Rovers where the forward made his name while also being a regular for the Scottish National side.
Walker said: “I was playing at the highest and most consistent level I’ve ever competed at four or five years ago and I was loving every minute of it.
“During my time at Hull Kingston Rovers I managed to draw attention from Australia and even spoke to Melbourne Storm, but I decided to see out my contract at Hull. Chris Chester was very supportive of me and that helped massively. Of course, I got the move to St Helens and then eventually Wakefield, both of whom are great Super League clubs.
“I was also in the Scotland National side on a regular basis and for that to slip away because of a silly decision whilst at Wakefield was massively disappointing but it has only made me hungrier now to turn things around and strive to get back to where I want to be.”
Due to his suspension, Walker is yet to train with the Red Devils but has no concerns about catching up on pre-season and returning to the field in top condition.
Walker said: “I know I’ve a lot of work to do. I’ve not been able to train but once I’m allowed to get back on the field regularly.
“I know the Head Strength and Conditioning – Greg Brown – from my time with Swinton and I know he will get the best out of me physically. I’ll be pushing myself further than I have before to ensure I’m ready for my first game back whenever that may be.”
Adam Walker will be available to play for the Red Devils in March.
Salford Red Devils return to action for the first time in almost four months on Saturday as they clash with local rivals Swinton Lions at the The Salford Stadium, 1pm kick-off. Tickets are available at the The Salford Stadium, over the phone and online HERE.
Squad | Burke joins Red Devils on permanent deal
Salford Red Devils are delighted to confirm that Greg Burke has joined the Club on a permanent basis for the next two seasons.
Head Coach, Ian Watson, said: “Greg has been a big asset for us in the short term. He impressed on his debut against Widnes playing big minutes and crossing for a great try.
“He’s a mobile forward with great ball handling skills and a tough defensive mindset. While Greg has been sidelined he has knuckled down and through his dedication – alongside our fantastic strength and conditioning department – has gotten himself in fantastic shape which will show on his return to the field.
“Myself and all the performance staff have been really impressed with Greg’s attitude and we know he will be a great signing for us.”
Director of Rugby and Operations, Ian Blease, said: “As part of the recent deal with Widnes Vikings which saw Greg Burke and Ed Chamberlain come over on loan, we’ve now managed to secure both of them on permanent deals.
“We are delighted that Greg has joined the Club on a permanent basis as we continue to build the squad for the 2019 season.
“Greg will also play a pivotal role in our remaining Qualifiers fixtures as we aim to secure our Betfred Super League status for another season.”
Join us for the 8s!
You can save by purchasing your tickets for our upcoming games against Widnes Vikings and Toronto Wolfpack by buying online in advance – JUST CLICK HERE!
Jackson Hastings | “It’s an exciting time”
Earlier today Salford Red Devils confirmed the signing of Australian halfback Jackson Hastings for the remainder of the season and we caught up with the 22-year-old ahead of his move to the The Salford Stadium in an exclusive interview.
Hastings said: “I absolutely can’t wait to get over and get stuck into training, meet the boys, coaching staff and the wonderful fans – it’s an exciting time.
“I’m looking forward to keeping this Club where it belongs and that is in the Betfred Super League.
“But, first and foremost, my first goal is to rip in to training and show my new teammates and coaches that I’m a winner by training as hard as I can, preparing as well as I can and taking each game as it comes.”
⚔️ Salford win Battle for Hastings! ⚔️
✍️ Salford Red Devils can confirm that Jackson Hastings has signed with the Club for the remainder of the season.
Read ➡️ https://t.co/dnmUYlK9L3 pic.twitter.com/uWlHOTyhyh
— Salford Red Devils 👹 (@SalfordDevils) July 12, 2018
“I know quite a bit about the Betfred Super League as I’m a huge Rugby League fan in general and always get up early to watch the televised games from abroad.
“I really respect and admire how good some of the players that the competition has produced are and I’m lucky I’ll now get the chance to mingle and play against them.”
Hastings will look to add another dimension to the Red Devils attack in the final few months of the 2018 campaign and is a vocal and creative halfback.
“I think my communication on the field has always been a natural strong point in my game. If you’re playing at 6, 7, 9 or 1 you are the voice of the team and need to be good at that,” Hastings said.
He added: “Competitiveness is something I base my game around and I pride myself on competing on every play no matter the result and doing all that I can to ensure the team gets the result we are looking for.
“The last major part would be my passing and kicking game. It’s something I work hard on and love seeing my team mates score or create opportunities off a nicely weighted kick or a nice sharp pass.
“I’ll do my best to bring this and more to the Club!”
Let’s get to work fam. @SalfordDevils https://t.co/iEKPm08WPe
— Jackson Hastings (@JackoHastings) July 12, 2018
The 22-year-old has played in England before with the Roosters and has already had a taste of life in around the Salford and Manchester area.
Hastings said: “I’ve been over before with my most recent trip coming three years ago with Sydney Roosters when we faced St Helens in the World Club Challenge series.
“I loved Manchester, especially the shopping. England is a great part of the world and I’m lucky to have family from and still living there at the moment.
“I have a lot of mates from rival clubs too, so hopefully I get the opportunity to get one up on them.”
The Australian halfback has impressed at both Sydney Roosters and Manly Sea Eagles and admits he has taken inspiration from two legends of the Betfred Super League.
Hastings said: “From an English standpoint I loved Kevin Sinfield and Danny McGuire as a kid. Leeds were a dominate team and were constantly on TV in Australia.
“As those two played similar positions to me I admired how good those two were and obviously Danny still to this day has all the tricks in the book.
“The big one was Johnathan Thurston. Everything that he did and still brings to the table is something I truly admire and respect.
“He’s a once in a generation player and I still can’t believe I’ll get to say I played against him.
“I can’t wait to get over and join the Salford Red Devils.”
Salford win Battle for Hastings
Salford Red Devils have swooped to sign Aussie half-back star Jackson Hastings from the NRL, initially for the remainder of the season.
Hastings is awaiting final visa clearance and will link up with the Red Devils for the vital close of the campaign.
Salford’s Director of Rugby Ian Blease said: “Jackson is a signing that should rightly excite everybody in the city. He is an exciting match-winner and will slot into our set-up perfectly at this crucial time.
“A huge amount of hard-work behind the scenes has gone into making this happen over the past few months and we are delighted to get it over the line. Opportunities to sign players this talented do not come along too often and it speaks volumes that we have beaten off some serious competition for his signature.
“I’d like to thank the player’s agent for all his help as well as Marwan Koukash who has honoured his pledge to support the club with the acquisition of a player.”
22-year-old Hastings already has 47 NRL appearances to his name for the Sydney Roosters and Manly Sea Eagles and has bagged 81 points in the process.
Salford Red Devils expect the player will join them at the The Salford Stadium as soon as his paperwork is complete in Australia.
Head Coach Ian Watson said: “He’s a huge talent with huge potential. The fact Trent Robinson let Maloney leave the Roosters so Jackson could partner Mitchell Pearce shows his level of quality.
“Obviously there were numerous Super League clubs chasing him and we are delighted he has chosen to come to us. Hopefully together we can restart Jackson’s first grade career
“He has been the guy we have been missing in terms of organisation and kicking game. He’s looking forward to getting over here and getting stuck in, concluded Watson.
Ian Blease continued, “It’s been a tough transitional year for the Club and we continue to need all the support we can get from our fans and get them to bring a friend along to the game on Friday against Castleford Tigers (kick off 8pm, The Salford Stadium). It is vital we stay in Super League this year and the signing of Jackson Hastings shows that we are very serious about this aim.”
Video: Hastings Highlights
Fancy a quick peek at Salford’s new signing Jackson Hastings in action? Course you do – check out this highlight reel right here.
