Watson looking for more ‘quality and depth’ in Salford Red Devils squad

Ian Watson believes Salford Red Devils need to build further on their squad if they want to challenge the giants of Super League again this season.

After last year’s memorable campaign for the Devils, the fans will be hoping for another season to remember as the Reds dare to go one step more than their 2019 Grand Final loss.

Speaking in a press conference last week before Salford’s first home game of the season against Toronto Wolfpack, head coach Ian Watson revealed that his work in the transfer market was not finished just yet.

“If you look at like the Hull squad or the St Helens squad, they’ve got 30, nearly forty, top players.

“You look at them and you think to compete with them you need to have that quality and depth.

“Where we’re at with the group at this moment in time I’m really happy with the players we’ve got, but you’d always like to strengthen”.

And it’s safe to say Watson has certainly strengthened his squad with 12 players arriving in pre-season.

But the head coach isn’t entirely done, Watson said: “We’re always having a little look out at what we need as a group going forward.

“I was pretty blunt at the beginning of the season when I said I’d like one more player, in the back row position for me.

“Whether something will come up from that only time will tell”.

This comes off the back of speculation that Salford have been linked with a season-long loan for Huddersfield Giants forward and Ireland international, Oliver Roberts.

If Roberts was to come to the AJ Bell, he would bring with him a fair amount of experience, with 83 appearances for Huddersfield Giants in the Super League since 2015, and nearly 100 appearances in all competitions for the Claret and Golds.

Last week’s victory at home to Super League new boys, Toronto Wolfpack, could of been a different result if the Reds were up against stronger opponents as the Canadians were able to break Salford’s line easily several times.

This reflects that maybe a dozen new players still is not enough for the Red Devils to fully establish themselves as Super League powerhouses.