Salford Assistant Coach Willie Poching took time out in his post-match press conference to hail the travelling Red Devils supporters who were fantastic at Hull Kingston Rovers on Friday evening.
“I’d just like to thank our travelling fans.
“We only have three home games, so they’ve got a few more away games than others but thankfully we don’t have to travel abroad.
“The ones that came over, we’d just like to thank them on behalf of the team for the effort they made.
“They’re going to play a part in us being successful – if we are successful – in this campaign.”
The Red Devils are set to take on Widnes Vikings on Saturday 18th August at 3:15pm and fans can save money if they purchase their tickets online prior to the game.
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Tag: Willie Poching
Willie Poching | “Lot of resilience and character”
Following an important victory over Hull Kingston Rovers in the Red Devils opening qualifiers fixture, Assistant Coach Willie Poching feels this will have an impact on his sides confidence.
“It’s been a little while since we’ve won on the bounce – two in a row – so we’re pretty pleased with the start to the Super 8s campaign for us.
“If you’ve been involved in this competition before you understand the importance of trying to get the wins but trying to get them early, so we can’t understate the importance of this win.
“As well as being in the position that we are with only having three home games to pick up an away victory is a big bonus for us. It puts us in a good position confidence wise.
“The guys showed a lot of resilience and character tonight.”
Watch Willie Poching’s full post-match press conference below:
Three Talking Points | Salford Red Devils 26-12 Widnes Vikings
Salford Red Devils returned to winning ways on Thursday evening with a crucial victory over Widnes Vikings at the The Salford Stadium and we take a look at three talking points from the game.
Fightback
Ian Watson’s men went into half-time trailing 8-12 however managed to comeback in the second half and go on to win the game 26-12. Watson and Assistant Head Coach Willie Poching both pointed to the side ‘overcoming adversity’ and ‘showing real character’ to come from behind to seal two points in the Betfred Super League.
Thursday’s game was the first time this season that the Red Devils have won a game when being behind at the interval. In fact, Salford’s last victory in which they overcame the odds in the second half came against Hull Kingston Rovers in last year’s Ladbrokes Challenge Cup on May 12th.
The fightback was made even more impressive when you consider the Red Devils had just two interchanges for the majority of the game with both Tyrone McCarthy and Jake Shorrocks leaving due to injury. In addition, new recruit Ed Chamberlain didn’t enter the field until the 79th minute meaning the hosts did a large period with just one interchange.
Heading into the business end of the season the side will be looking to build on this resilience shown to push for a position in the Betfred Super League Super 8s.
Movement in the backs
Thursday’s game saw some positional changes in the back line however these seemed to prove dividend for the Red Devils.
Jack Littlejohn – who moved to fullback last weekend against Hull FC in the absence of injured Niall Evalds – occupied the role at the back once again this week and was a standout performer. Littlejohn was safe under the high ball and caused the Vikings issues when he came into the attacking line particularly when executing a delayed pass to put Jake Bibby over in the second half.
Jake Shorrocks and Rob Lui paired in the halves and Shorrocks continued to improve for Salford until he was forced to leave the field due to a facial injury. However, Josh Wood moved into the halfback role and excelled as he has for the majority of the season with Logan Tomkins then doing long minutes at hooker.
While Evalds being out is a blow for Salford, Thursday’s game displayed the versality and options the red Devils still have in the backs.
Kris Welham
Centre Kris Welham was voted as Salford’s Man of the Match by Match Sponsor Turner Parkinson and the veteran was exceptional on Thursday evening.
Welham was quickest to react to a loose ball in the first half before racing 60m to cross for the Red Devils first try of the evening before then pulling off a magnificent weaving finish for his second just minutes later.
The second was Welham’s 150th of his career so far and the centre has been a fantastic signing since arriving back in 2017. The centre has missed just one game so far in 2018 and the Red Devils will be looking to him to maintain this kind of try-scoring form in some massive upcoming Betfred Super League games.
Willie Poching | “It’s a reward for their efforts”
Following a massive Betfred Super League victory over Widnes Vikings, Assistant Coach Willie Poching expressed his delight for the lads who got to sing their winning song following a tough few weeks.
Poching also gave an update on Jake Shorrocks and Tyrone McCarthy who both left the field early.
Full press conference can be seen below:
Willie Poching | “We have worked really hard on trying to fix up”
As always, last week’s Magic Weekend not only served up a fine display of rugby league throughout its two days, but also produced some surprising results, one of which may well have been Huddersfield’s win over much fancied Wakefield, so with the Giants being the next team up at the A J Bell, this coming weekend, that win must undoubtedly serve as something of a warning to ourselves, as agreed by Assistant Coach, Willie Poching.
“In the run up to last weekend’s game it probably would have looked that way, especially with Wakefield having rested a few players the previous week for the cup game, and with their big hitters returning. Having seen how Huddersfield had played in their cup game the week before, though, it was always going to be a hard task to play against them.
“They certainly went into both those games full of confidence, and it looks as though they have turned the corner now. Chris Thorman is really putting his mark on the team whilst they are awaiting the arrival of their new coach, and on top of that they have got some big names back in the team. As a result, they are growing in confidence every single week, so it was no surprise to us how well they did at the weekend.”
One notable point of that particular encounter, coming as it did immediately after our match with Catalans, was the increased speed of that game.
“That was because ours was much more of a forward battle, whereas Huddersfield, through Danny Brough, tended to move the ball about more, and that meant that Wakefield had to pick up their tempo to try and claw their way back into contention. We will try to control the pace of the game, as we always do.
“We understand the strengths and dangers that Huddersfield present, and we have worked really hard at trying to fix up some of the areas of concern around our own game.”
One of the big names now returned to the Yorkshire side’s ranks is the afore-mentioned Danny Brough, who has such a controlling and effective influence on his side.
“It is not just his kicking game which enables him to bring such confidence into his side, but his leadership, and his passion for the game, so it is no coincidence that they have improved, as he has returned and is starting to show some form.
“He is a big one for us to watch but it has to be remembered that he has a ‘support cast’ around him that is also playing well, all of whom contributed well last weekend, so it is not just about the one player.”
Getting off to a good start, is the aim of every team, because it gives something on which they can build, but unfortunately the good starts which the Red Devils have had in their last two outings, has failed to procure the expected outcome, with the turnaround coming upon our conceding penalties at the very end of sets.
“There were other things too such as kicking early in the sets when attacking their line, and losing composure, which led to frustration. We have got to grow and learn from those situations so that when we take the lead and the opposition then adapts to snuff out any further similar attacks, we either stick with it and be patient, or make some necessary adjustments.
“What we shouldn’t do is start to panic and lose composure. We have got off to two good starts which have both got us a foothold towards controlling the game, but what we need is a stranglehold to continue that for the rest of the half, and then after halftime throughout the rest of the game.”
Low completion rates, through errors, has been noticeable in both of those games.
“Although it is no good just completing your sets if you haven’t done anything to challenge your opponents, it is equally unsatisfactory to be putting yourself under a whole lot of extra pressure by not completing them. Because of that, we have been creating a whole lot of extra work for ourselves, which we really don’t need, but also we need to get back to how we were playing before, rather than having our attention diverted away from that, in this way.”
At this stage in the season, with four more home matches still to play, and some winnable away fixtures too, there is still abundant time to turn recent setbacks around and ensure that spot in the Super 8s for ourselves.
“We are in control of where we want to be at this point of time, and that’s the way we need to keep it, starting with a win against Huddersfield. There is still a long way to go in the season, with plenty of points still to be picked up.
“We have got to try our best every single week. There are two points on offer on Friday night, and we need to collect those and so put Huddersfield on the back foot. A win certainly helps boost confidence, but we must not then forget the lessons learned over the previous weeks to get that.”
Community | Langworthy Reds get training masterclass from Red Devils
Salford first team players Jake Bibby and Ryan Lannon went down to local community club Langworthy Reds with Red Devils Assistant Coaches Martin Gleeson and Willie Poching to give their U9’s a coaching masterclass.
The youngsters were given defensive drills focusing on tackle technique, holding their line and one-on-one defence. Langworthy Reds have given us some exceptional feedback from the evening and we all hope their U9’s kick on and use what they’ve learned in their upcoming fixtures.
Watch highlights of the session below:
Feature | Salford Red Devils break medical ground with ABELSport overtraining test
Salford Red Devils break medical ground becoming the first British Rugby League club to use Knight Scientific’s unique ABELsport test which is the biggest breakthrough for years in prevention of overtraining and detecting infections.
The test has been used by Premier League football teams, Olympians, triathletes, Iron Man competitors and even explorers and now the Salford Red Devils are the latest elite sporting organisation to use the test which has been described as a ‘godsend’ by Plymouth Argyle’s performance manager John Harbin.
Harbin said: “It all started as I was chatting with Assistant Coach Willie Poching about the blood tests we currently do in football and Knights Scientific are a company I work closely with.
“Willie asked if I’d like to come down to Salford and do the blood tests which give players feedback within 24 hours of the blood being taken.
“The results show you things such as fatigue levels, impending infections and then there’s recommendations to players as a follow-up with things such as nutrition, taking vitamins and their hydration levels.
“The ABEL-Sports test can show when a player is heading towards overtraining before it happens so a player can be told to slow down or go for treatment.
“It might be that some players need resting and it’s really good for injured players as it monitors their wellbeing and can even give you timescales on recovery.
“We’ll be giving the Salford Red Devils players some recommendations as well as advising the coaching staff and medical teams on the way their training and treating players.”
The test uses a single drop of blood from a finger-prick to determine whether a person is in danger of overtraining or suffering from infection, up to 48 hours before any symptoms show.
The revolutionary ABELmeter portable luminometer means that the test can be done at pitch side, track side, pool side, in the locker room or even on the team bus.
Harbin added: “Of course, sceptics ask what does it do? But it’s scientifically proven that we can detect potential overtraining and infections with this method and, at the end of the day, it certainly doesn’t do any harm.
“If a club or athlete do this regularly they’ll see a marked improvement in their training and recovery because they can adapt their training schedules to how their body is feeling ahead of time.”
For more information click here.
Or, visit Knight Scientific on LinkedIn or on Twitter – @ScienceKnights.
Willie Poching | “Everyone on form and competing for a place in the seventeen”
This Thursday’s home game against St Helens sees the start of a run of a number of quite high profile fixtures for Salford fans to savour, with it being followed by a visit to the DW Stadium to take on Wigan, then our first appearance in this season’s Challenge Cup at Leigh, before making the trip up to Newcastle to take on Les Catalans Dragons, in the Magic Weekend.
Indeed, the first of these also has a notoriety of its own with the television cameras being in attendance at the A J Bell, for what will be their third consecutive year of screening our home encounter with the Saints.
They have, in the past two years, been rewarded with two great, giant killing performances by the Red Devils, and clearly are anticipating yet another keenly fought match.
Against a Saints side, clearly still smarting from that reversal at the Mobile Rocket Stadium, two weeks ago, there will be few opportunities of scoring and none can be scorned, nor thoughts allowed to drift ahead to those games coming up behind, as Assistant Coach, Willie Poching, insists.
“Every match you play in is extremely important, and no sooner has one match finished than the next one takes over your focus, so, at this point in time, the St Helens game is where our attention lies. We are doing as much preparation as we can, in the short turn around, to get the players ready to go again.”
Certainly, no-one could have asked for a better performance of our players than the one they produced in last Friday’s onslaught of Wakefield Trinity, who, high in confidence after their defeat of the Saints the previous week, must have really fancied their chances of turning that victory into back-to-back wins.
No-one within our coaching and playing staff, however, is getting carried away with that victory, despite the comprehensive nature of it.
“It wasn’t all one-way traffic, and we are still a little way off what we want to produce, because we hadn’t quite executed our plays in the first half as well as we would have liked, and at 8-0 at half time, the game was still in the balance. The boys responded well in the second half though, but there are still things for us to work on and improve upon.”
Nevertheless, the players, on the back of that victory, will be taking the field in a much more buoyant and confident mood than might otherwise have been the case.
“No matter what they are, when your systems and plays positively influence the scoreboard, it brings players the self-belief and confidence that they can achieve their objectives. They have a lot of belief in one another already, which brings with it a trust in each other, so we have just got to keep all that going in order to retain each of those intangibles which enable you to win your games.”
The trust, to which he refers, had, last Friday, also to incorporate a number of unexpected replacements with a half of the first-choice pack withdrawing through injury or illness. In the event, those replacements slotted in seamlessly.
“That’s the result of having a good squad. We may not have the biggest, but they are all of fantastic quality, and are a tight knit group, so we can go a little deeper into it than we have had to over recent weeks, and when called upon the players brought in can really put their hand up.
“It’s been some while since George Griffin and Daniel Murray have played, but they both really gave it their best shot, and there wasn’t a player for us who didn’t have a good game. It’s important that, when we go out there each week, we get the top performance from everybody, and whenever that happens we will come close to getting the result we are after.”
Those recent performances, and two home results, against the visiting Saints in recent years are surely testament enough to inspire all the players to produce their best, on Thursday.
“Even in the away match, last season, at Saints, we deserved at least a draw, but circumstances were such that this wasn’t to be. We did some things, which, on reflection, showed that to some extent we threw the game away.
“St Helens are a quality club with a team, and players, of that same quality, and we shall have to be on our guard against them, regardless of past results. Even looking back to our game against them, in March, we had our moments then, and we shall be wanting to take those into this coming match.”
In addition to this, I am sure that most people would appreciate that we are a much better team now than we were back then – something with which Willie undoubtedly concurs.
“That is the key. You can put in the odd really good performance, but it is being able to back it up over the weeks that is important, and we have just won back to back games, which now has the boys really keen and looking forward to this match.”
With the possibility of at least a couple of last week’s absentees in line for returning, the problem for the coaches will be deciding on team selection.
“That’s a great problem to have, and this is what we want – everyone on form and competing for a place in the seventeen. It’s a good time of year to be in this position.”
Assistant Coaches To Speak Prior To Super 8s Games
Our first Super 8s home game against Castleford Tigers on Friday 11th August will see the Red Devils launch a brand-new interactive format for our hospitality guests which will include a pre-match interview with a member of the coaching staff.
Assistant coaches Willie Poching or Martin Gleeson who have helped Ian Watson guide the Red Devils to their highest ever Super League finish and their first Ladbrokes Challenge Cup semi-final in almost twenty years.
Martin Gleeson has won both the Super League and Challenge Cup and enjoyed spells with clubs such as Huddersfield, St Helens, Warrington, Wigan and Hull before finishing his career with the Red Devils. The centre has also represented Lancashire, England and Great Britain.
Fellow coach Willie Poching is a former New Zealand and Samoan international who has featured for NRL powerhouses North Queensland Cowboys and St George Illawarra Dragons before moving to England. Poching represented Wakefield and Leeds in the Super League and won both the Super League and the World Club Challenge with the Rhinos.
Ian Watson will also speak at the event following the Castleford match and will give fans an insight into the tactics and pressure of a Super 8s match.
Listening to assistant coaches Willie Poaching or Martin Gleeson prior to the opening home game of the Super 8s will give fans an idea of what kind of preparations the players and coaches go through before a big game, the ins and outs of matchday for the squad and what it’s like to help Ian Watson on a daily basis.
The event will be hosted by fellow Rugby League legends Garreth Carvell and Robbie Hunter-Paul and will include a sumptuous three-course meal alongside a VIP seat to watch the game.
With the prize of an Old Trafford Grand Final appearance looming, hospitality at this huge game can be yours for the price of just 80+VAT.
To take advantage of this offer and occasion, email Fiona.woods@salfordreddevils.net, who will be happy to reserve your seat.
Don’t forget, if you can’t make it this week there are still three further Red Devils home games before the end of September so everybody can take part in our most amazing season in decades.
