Mark Flanagan was delighted to hit 100 games for Salford Red Devils but just wished the milestone had come with a victory.
The Super League defeat to Wakefield Trinity saw the forward reach a cool 100 appearances for the Red Devils.
Leaving St Helens for the AJ Bell stadium in 2016, the 32-year-old quickly established himself as a key member of Ian Watson’s squad.
“Appearance milestones like that are nice,” Flanagan said after Sunday’s 22-12 reverse against Trinity.
“To get 100 games at a club like Salford is great, I’ve had a great four-and-a-bit years.”
The number 19 has had an eventful few years with the Reds, helping the club avoid relegation from the Super League in the Million Pound Game in his first season, and then being part of the history-making team that made it to the Grand Final last year against all the odds.
And every defeat still cuts just as deep, with Mark Flanagan believing the arrival of 12 new faces after coming so close last season means it has taken time for things to settle down.
“It always hurts to be honest,” he said.
“I think anybody playing at this level is competitive and they’re at this level for a reason, they want to win.
“I think it shows how much transition we’ve had in the off-season because we’re still rusty, we’re still gelling as a team and finding our feet.”
But Flanagan thinks Sunday’s loss was not just about a new team still trying to work each other out.
“I think there were areas of the performance that weren’t about gelling, but more about one-on-one tackles and poor decision-making,” he said.
“We didn’t play well enough and credit to Wakefield, they did.”
Now he is hoping the Red Devils can pick themselves back up for this Saturday’s meeting with Catalans Dragons in Perpignan.
“I think it’s just about getting a response,” Flanagan said.
“I suppose that game can’t come quick enough because we need to react positively.”
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