Marshall – “We’re ready for the challenge”

Head Coach Richard Marshall has said that he wants his Salford Red Devils team to produce quality performances at the AJ Bell stadium ahead of the teamโ€™s first competitive home game of the season.

Salford will face Widnes Vikings in the Third Round of the Betfred Challenge Cup on Saturday, and Marshall expressed that he was looking forward to the match.

Marshall said: โ€œWe played a couple of friendlies here and I thought we played really well in them.

โ€œWe want to play really well at home this year, and weโ€™ve got an opportunity this week to do that.โ€

While the match will be played without fans in attendance, Marshall explained he was relishing the return of fans, saying that he looked forward to building a rapport with the local community.

Marshall added: โ€œI want to get a relationship with our support and our local community.

โ€œThe lifeblood of our game is our fans, and we want to repay them with our performances on the pitch.โ€

Salford will be the favourites when they face Widnes, but Marshall warned against underestimating the Betfred Championship side.

โ€œIโ€™m sure Widnes will be coming with a really concise game plan and try to unnerve and rattle us,” Marshall explained.

โ€œThe Championship teams come with lots of energy, lots of enthusiasm and a really good simple plan.โ€

Marshall revealed that he wanted to strike a balance between selecting a strong team and rotation but would be forced in to making some certain changes, confirming that both Dan Sarginson and Elijah Taylor will be out through injury. Kevin Brown is also unavailable due to suspension.

Marshall said: โ€œWe want to win this game and progress in the Challenge Cup.

โ€œWeโ€™ve got some fringe players that have not played and who Iโ€™ve not had a look at yet, but at the same time weโ€™ve not found our rhythm.

โ€œWe want to put a strong team out and we want to go and win the game.

โ€œWeโ€™re ready for the challenge.โ€

Image credit: Steve McCormick

Written by: Patrick Ryan

BETFRED CHALLENGE CUP THIRD ROUND SCHEDULE CONFIRMED

The schedule for the Third Round of the Betfred Challenge Cup has been confirmed with Salford Red Devils hosting Widnes Vikings on Saturday 10 April, kick-off at 12:30pm.ย 

The tie will be contested at the The Salford Stadium and will be streamed on Our League, with tickets available here at an early bird price of ยฃ4.95, with prices rising to ยฃ10 on the day of the game.

The last time Salford faced Widnes was Round 18 of the Betfred Super League in 2018, a 26-12 victory for the Red Devils that day, and the Betfred Championship side are the first team Marshall’s men must overcome in the Cup as Salford look to return to Wembley in 2021.

Salford had a remarkable journey to the Betfred Challenge Cup Final last year, with a Golden Point victory over Catalans Dragons in the Quarter-Final before brushing aside Warrington Wolves in the Semis. Under new coaching and with a revitalised squad, the Red Devils will be aiming to go one step further than Runners Up this year.

The full Betfred Challenge Cup Third Round schedule is below:

Friday 9 April

18:00 KO – ย Hull KR v Castleford Tigers โ€“ Live on Our League (ยฃ4.95 EB & ยฃ10 on the day)

19:45 KO – York City Knights v Wigan Warriors โ€“ Live on The Sportsman website, YouTube & Facebook

Saturday 10 April

12:30 KO – Salford Red Devils v Widnes Vikings โ€“ Live on Our League (ยฃ4.95 EB, ยฃ10 on the day)

14:30 KO โ€“ St Helens v Leeds Rhinos โ€“ Live on BBC One (coverage starts 2pm)

17:00 KO โ€“ Catalans Dragons v Wakefield Trinity โ€“ Live on BBC Two

19:00 KO – Featherstone Rovers v Hull FC โ€“ Live on Our League (ยฃ4.95 EB & ยฃ10 on the day)

Sunday 11 April

12:30 KO โ€“ Swinton Lions v Warrington Wolves โ€“ Live on Our League (ยฃ4.95 EB & ยฃ10 on the day)

14:30 KO โ€“ Leigh Centurions v Huddersfield Giants โ€“ Live on Our League (ยฃ4.95 EB & ยฃ10 on the day)

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