Following their 50-12 defeat at the hands of Salford former Red Devil and current Swinton Lions Head Coach was proud of his sides performance and feels his side now have something to build on.
Littler said: “We got through it and it gives us a good opportunity obviously to run against a competitive opposition and now we’ve got some footage to show our lads what we’re doing well and what we can work on over the next few weeks.
“We needed it and obviously we’ve got some stuff to work on they’re a big strong outfit and full respect to the way they play we were a bit low on troops in the second half we were bouncing a few people about here, there and everywhere but credit to our lads they didn’t give up.
“We faced a little bit of adversity today with the numbers we had we were already light on middles but we’ll have a couple back next week who weren’t ready for this week it’s only pre-season our battles the season and I’ve got to get people right for the first game of the season at Toulouse.”
Despite the scoreline Littler knows the difference between full-time and part-time is a difficult one to overcome but feels the game against Salford is crucial for his side to learn from.
Littler said: “We are where we are we’re building slowly and played a full-time outfit there and we’ve got some lads who’ve stepped up from amateur and academies and played for us today.
“Like I said to the boys some lads have impressed and some have got a bit to work on but it gives us chance to show them footage through the week rather than just training against ourselves.
“It was a challenge today they’re 27 big strong athletes who are built well.”
Tag: Stuart Littler
Salford Red Devils 50-12 Swinton Lions
Salford Red Devils opened their pre-season campaign with a victory after overhauling local rivals Swinton Lions 50-12 in a competitive friendly at the The Salford Stadium.
Two tries from Derrell Olpherts alongside scores from Greg Johnson, Kris Welham, Gareth O’Brien, Tyrone McCarthy, Niall Evalds and Rob Lui ensured The Red Devils kicked off 2018 with a merciless display.
After a slow start to the contest, Greg Johnson opened the scoring after ten minutes after some quick hands from Jack Littlejohn and Kris Welham allowed the winger to touch down to claim Salford’s first try of 2018. Occupying a new role in the halves, Gareth O’Brien made no mistake in adding the extras to give Salford a 6-0 lead.
The opening seemed to have instilled a sense of momentum in the Salford camp as The Red Devils swiftly extended their lead through Tyrone McCarthy just seven minutes later. A quick pass from Lama Tasi enabled the Irish international to open his account for the year. Gareth O’Brien kicked the conversion to extend the hosts lead.
Just four minutes later Kris Welham capitalised on a gap in the Swinton defence to claim a fine individual effort. Although, on this occasion O’Brien was unable to kick the conversion, slicing the ball wide.
It was a tough opening period for the visitors, The Lions struggled to gain any distance in their attack due to the resilient Salford defence. Josh Wood skipped from hooker and broke down field before finding the onrushing Niall Evalds whose momentum carried him over the try line soon after.
The visitors did get onto the scoreboard as Hayden Hansen scored his first try for the club. Chris Hankinson confidently added the conversion in what was the final point scoring action of the half.
Salford made the perfect start to the second period when just three minutes into the half O’Brien threw a neat dummy to deceive the entire Swinton back-line before racing 30m to cross over. He then kicked the resulting goal.
The hosts were ruthless throughout and extended their lead shortly afterwards as debutant Derrell Olpherts scored his first try for the club after linking up well with Evalds. Despite the spirited efforts of a committed Swinton defence the lively Olpherts claimed his second try of the game after O’Brien picked the centre out with a looping pass.
Swinton were finally rewarded for their efforts when Chris Hankinson broke clear with eight minutes remaining to add a second try to the Lions account. With a number of minor injuries reducing their squad size, Stuart Littler’s side gave a good account of themselves although Salford proved too much to handle as Rob Lui scored two minutes from time.
However, Salford were not finished there. This time Gavin Bennion broke through a deflated Lions line to score his maiden try for The Red Devils. O’Brien kicked his seventh goal of the contest the complete the scoring.
The squad’s focus now switches to next Saturday’s pre-season friendly at nearby Warrington and after the dominant display versus Swinton, Ian Watson will be confident his side can build some momentum at the Halliwell Jones stadium.
Salford Lineup: Evalds, Johnson, Welham, Sa’u, O’Brien, Littlejohn, Kopczak, Tasi, Wood, Mossop, Jones, Hauraki, McCarthy Interchanges: Lui, Kopczak, Tomkins, Griffin, Nakubuwai, Vatuvei, Olpherts, Nzoungou, Murray, Bennion
Swinton Lineup: Fell, Webb, Hankinson, Tyson, Butt, J Hansen, Bracek, Waterworth, Austin, Lloyd, Sarsfield, Worrall Interchanges: H Hansen, Taylor, Caine, Hall, Djaout
Salford Scorers: Tries – Johnson (10), McCarthy (17), Welham (21), Evalds (25), O’Brien (43), Olpherts (49, 65) Lui (78), Bennion (79)
Goals- O’Brien (7)
Swinton Scorers: Tries- H Hansen (34), Hankinson (72)
Goals- Hankinson (2)
Man of the Match: Jack Littlejohn
Referee: M Griffiths
Touch Judges: A Smith, S Houghton
Attendance: 2,036
By Ryan Booth.
Salford Red Devils vs Swinton Lions – Preview
Salford are set to open their 2018 season against local rivals Swinton Lions as an old rivalry is renewed in the Red Devils first warm-up game before another Betfred Super League Season.
Swinton will visit the The Salford Stadium (1pm kick-off) looking to cause an upset and there is a whole host of new faces on show for both sides.
Match Preview
Salford versus Swinton has long been a fierce rivalry and many in the local community are excited to see its return but there are a lot of stories around both clubs heading into Sunday’s game.
The Red Devils Head Coach Ian Watson was the man in charge at Swinton before making the move to the The Salford Stadium and spent time with both clubs throughout his playing career. On the other hand, Stuart Littler has also spent time with both teams as a player and he will lead the Lions into battle this weekend.
From the sidelines to the boardrooms and both clubs are entering new eras. Last week it was confirmed that ownership of Salford Red Devils had been transferred to a consortium of Salford supporters following Dr Marwan Koukash’s five-year tenure. Swinton have also had a change at the top as Andy Mazey has taken the reins as Chairman and will be looking to steer the Lions in a new direction.
Last Time Out
This weekend’s fixture will be the first runout before the 2018 season for both the Red Devils and Swinton Lions but both clubs have something to build on after 2017.
Salford experienced their most successful season in recent memory with a 4th place regular season finish in the Betfred Super League as well as making an appearance in the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup semi-final for the first time in twenty years. Ian Watson’s side will be looking for another top eight finish and to build on last year’s single victory in the Super 8s.
As for the Lions, Swinton avoided relegation to League One with a memorable win over Lancashire rivals Oldham following a difficult season both on and off the field. Swinton have made wholesale changes both at the top and on the field and will be looking to consolidate themselves as a Championship side for the foreseeable future.
Previous Meetings
Salford and Swinton is a rivalry that stretches back to the beginning of the 20th century with the two local rivals meeting in the 1899-1900 Challenge Cup final in which Swinton came out victorious 16-8.
The last time the two sides met was in the 2015 pre-season, almost three years to the day, as the local community banded together to commemorate the life of aid worker Alan Henning. The Red Devils had a comfortable afternoon against the Lions 66-4 and for an in-depth look at the game click here.
Head-to-Head
While they’ll not be directly in competition in terms of position both Salford and Swinton have new additions set to start – Jack Littlejohn and Hayden Hansen.
Both men have come from Australia to further their careers and Littlejohn has big boots to fill taking the role of Salford cult hero Michael Dobson following his retirement. Littlejohn has gained NRL experience with the Wests Tigers and is a big, dynamic half-back who could hold the keys to unlocking the Lions defence.
As for Hansen, he has arrived from Queensland Intrust Super Cup team Redcliffe Dolphins for whom he was captain. Hansen can play at hooker or loose forward and is a powerful runner whose eye for a killer pass will make him a serious threat in the Championship next season.
Team News
Swinton have made 13 additions to the squad in the off-season, but Head Coach Stuart Littler has only been able to name a 18-man squad due to several minor injuries.
New signings George Tyson, Hayden Hansen, Aaron Hall, Elliot Caine, Marcus Webb, Danny Ansell, Connor Taylor and Chris Worrell could all pull on the Lions’ shirt for the first time. Meanwhile, Gabe Fell will be in line to make his second debut for the club upon his return to the Lions from Wigan. French trailist Omer Djalout is also involved in the Lions’ matchday squad.
Marquee player Matt Sarsfield, who rejoined the club in 2017, will be keen to make an impact having only featured for the Lions twice last season due to long-term injury.
New signing Littlejohn will start in the halves alongside Gareth O’Brien while 2017 top try-scorer Niall Evalds will begin the game at full-back. Youngsters Josh Wood and Jake Bibby will also both start the game.
Ben Nakubuwai, Levy Nzoungou, Derrell Olpherts and Gavin Bennion will all start bench for Salford Red Devils but Head Coach Ian Watson has said that everybody named in the matchday squad will feature at some stage.
Meanwhile, suspended Ryan Lannon and Luke Burgess who is recovering from a small knock are the only two Salford players who don’t make the matchday squad.
Full Squads
Salford: (Starting Line-Up): Evalds, Johnson, Welham, Sa’u, Bibby; O’Brien, Littlejohn; Tasi, Wood, Mossop, Jones, Hauraki, McCarthy. (Interchanges): Lui, Kopczak, Tomkins, Griffin, Flanagan, Nakubuwai, Brining, Vatuvei, Olpherts, Nzoungou, Murray, Bennion.
Swinton: Ansell, Austin, Bracek, Butt, Caine, Djalout, Fell, Hall, Hankinson, J. Hansen, H. Hansen, Lloyd, Sarsfield, Taylor, Tyson, Waterworth, Webb, Worrall.
Officials
Referee: M. Griffiths.
Touch Judges: S. Houghton & A. Smith.
Stuart Littler – “They play an attractive brand of rugby”
Ahead of tomorrow’s pre-season friendly Swinton Lions Head Coach and former Red Devils player Stuart Littler has given his thoughts as his side travel to Salford to renew an old rivalry.
Littler said: “We’re obviously looking forward to this weekend and getting back into games. We’ll prepare thoroughly, showing players exactly what we want going forward. It’s all about getting ourselves right for that first month of the season and starting big.”
“There’s no set team in my mind so far. I’m pretty honest with my group of players. It’s up to them in the next few weeks to step up and put themselves on the plane for that first game.
“We’ve not quite got a full squad yet. We’ll be rotating our players, giving everyone a shot, keeping bodies fresh. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we’ll get a few bodies back from knocks and people will be able to play more minutes. I’m talking with the medical staff to see where we are at the moment but we will get there.”
The former Red Devil complimented Salford following their most successful season in recent memory and admitted they could be difficult to stop going forward.
Littler said: “They were in the position they found themselves in last year on merit. They play an attractive brand of rugby to be honest and they are coached well. It’s going to be a tough ask, but as with any game we are going to have a go.”
Fans can purchase tickets for tomorrow’s game against Swinton from the Club Ticket Office or over the phone on 0161 786 1570. The Ticket Office will be open prior to the game but remember our ‘2018 Season Launch’ begins at 10:30am in the 1873 suite. The match kicks off at 1pm.
Salford Red Devils vs Swinton Lions – Sunday 14th January
Salford Red Devils host Swinton Lions in our opening game of the 2018 season on Sunday 14th January, 1pm kick-off. Here are all the details you need to know:
Ticketing
Tickets for our ‘2018 Season Launch’ event and the pre-season friendly against Swinton Lions will be able to purchase from the Club Ticket Office on Sunday.
The ‘2018 Season Launch’ is scheduled to begin at 10:30am so fans are advised to purchase their tickets early. If supporters are only intending to watch the game and not attend the pre-season event they can purchase any time before 1pm on Sunday. There will be a separate window for upgrades to the ‘2018 Season Launch’ for any fans who have purchased regular tickets.
Our concession discount for employees of Salford City Council, Manchester City Council, Trafford Council and Peel Holdings will also apply on gameday with any employees receiving a concession price for the ticket they wish to purchase.
All fans will be situated in the West Stand with Salford Red Devils supporters towards the South Stand and Swinton Lions fans towards the North Stand. A full list of ticket prices for Sunday’s game can be found here.
Following the game supporters will be able to purchase or collect their 2018 Season Tickets from the Club Ticket Office. Also, tickets for our pre-season friendly at Warrington and our 2018 Betfred Super League opener against Wigan Warriors will also be on sale. You can also purchase tickets for the Wigan game here.
‘2018 Season Launch’ event
Our ‘2018 Season Launch’ is scheduled to begin at around 10:45am so we advise that all fans are in the 1873 suite by 10:30am.
The ‘2018 Season Launch’ will include the full reveal of our 2018 Salford Red Devils squad and our new captains before interviews with Head Coach Ian Watson and new Director Andrew Rosler. Swinton Lions will also be represented with Head Coach, and former Red Devil, Stuart Littler and Chairman Andy Mazey both speaking.
Salford Red Devils legend Keith Fielding will also be in attendance and shall be interviewed by Paul Highton. Fans can also then go outside to watch the Salford Red Devils Education Academy U16’s open their season against Barrow provided they are wristbanded.
There will also be a minutes applause prior to kick-off to remember Alan McInnes, Hugh Duffy, Fred Smith, Tommy Grainey, Gary Lloyd and Kato Ottio.
Fans Bar and Kiosks
The fans bar downstairs will be open prior to the game as well as the bar in our 1873 suite being open for our ‘2018 Season Launch’.
The fans marquee will not be open for Sunday’s game but will resume normal service when we face Wigan Warriors in our Super League opener on Friday 2nd February at the The Salford Stadium.
Club Shop
Steeden will be present at Sunday’s game and will be setting up their pop-up Club shop in the downstairs fans bar beside reception.
Fans are free to browse and purchase any items on sale and Steeden will do replacements if the stock is there. However, we encourage fans to exchange their merchandise by contacting Advantage Sport directly rather than on Sunday.
Volunteers from the Salford RLFC Supporters’ Trust will be helping out with the Steeden store with the Supporters’ Trust also having a table upstairs to take memberships.
Car Park
Car Parking will be available at the game and will cost £5 however the price is set to increase to £6 in the regular season. Season Car Park passes will be valid for Sunday’s game.
Programme
The Red Devil will not be on sale at Sunday’s game with a brand-new programme set to be launched for our Super League opener against Wigan Warriors however a teamsheet including all Salford Red Devils fixtures for 2018 included.
Details of our ‘2018 Season Launch’ confirmed
Salford Red Devils are excited to host our ‘2018 Season Launch’ prior to our opening pre-season friendly against local rivals Swinton Lions on Sunday 14th January at the The Salford Stadium.
Fans are advised to arrive early with the event set to begin at 10:30am in the 1873 suite at the The Salford Stadium and tickets can be purchased from the Club Ticket Office or over the phone.
Both the 2018 Salford Red Devils and Swinton Lions squads will be introduced player-by-player before interviews with former Salford and Swinton players, and now Head Coaches, Ian Watson and Stuart Littler.
There will also be interviews with Salford Red Devils CEO Ian Blease and Swinton Lions Chairman Andy Mazey as both Clubs enter new eras in 2018. In addition, Keith Fielding will be in attendance and will be interviewed during the ‘Season Launch’.
All of the above will be presented by newly appointed Player Welfare Manager and former Salford player Paul Highton.
This will also be the first opportunity for fans to visit our pop-up Steeden store which is set to be situated downstairs in the bar besides reception with tonnes of stock including our fantastic #HistoryRepeated home and away shirts available for purchase prior to our first game of 2018.
The 14th January will also mark the opening of the season for the Salford Red Devils Education Academy U16’s who face Barrow on the outside training pitch at 11am. Fans will be able to watch the game for free prior to the Swinton fixture and will still be able to catch the second half even if they come up to the ‘Season Launch’.
Tickets for our Season Launch event (including game ticket) are priced as follows:
Adult (Season Ticket Holder): £13
Concession (Season Ticket Holder): £8
Adult (Non-Season Ticket Holders): £15
Concession (Non-Season Ticket Holders): £10
Regular ticket prices for just the game are:
Adult: £10
Concession: £5
All Junior tickets will fall under the concession category for our pre-season game against Swinton.
Remember tickets to see this old rivalry renewed can be purchased from the Club Ticket Office between the hours of 9am-9:30pm midweek and 10am-4:30pm on weekends or you can phone 0161 786 1570.
Season Tickets are also still available for purchase by visiting the Club Ticket Office, phoning 0161 786 1570 or clicking here. Remember if you want to pay for your 2018 Season Ticket over six monthly Direct Debit payments you’ll need to visit the Club Ticket Office or phone 0161 786 1570.
