Salford Red Devils coach Paul Rowley says he’s “relieved” to have taken the club through to the final game of the Super League Season but maintains the club’s survival is all that matters.
Salford have been battling severe cash-flow problems since a takeover ahead of the start of the campaign – and could have gone out of business but for a winding-up petition served on them to twice be adjourned.
Salford, who failed to field a team against Wakefield last month, citing player welfare concerns, are not among the nine clubs who have submitted formal applications to be part of a prospective 14-team Super League in 2026.
This means that the club must finish 12th or higher in the IMG gradings to secure a top-flight berth. Earlier this year, the grading system, which determines the levels teams compete in the pyramid instead of conventional promotion and relegation, was implemented.
The 12 Super League teams will be those who achieve the most points across a range of criteria, including fandom, on-field performance, finance, stadium and community.
Given Salford’s financial woes, it is unlikely the Red Devils will rank in the top 12. Earlier this week, the club controversially retracted their application for one of two spots determined by a panel of seven judges.
This decision was slammed by Salford supporter group the 1873, who said the decision raised “legitimate questions about the strategy, ambition, and long-term intentions of those currently in charge.”
Despite all of the issues the Red Devils boss has faced – which included a raft of player departures – Rowley remains immensely proud of taking the Red Devils into what looks increasingly likely to be a final match in the top flight against Wakefield on Friday.
In battling to three top-flight wins this campaign, his beleaguered team has remained competitive in the face of adversity.
It is a testament to the enormous levels of character shown by his players in difficult moments that Rowley says he will reflect positively on what has been a crisis-riddled campaign.
“I am relieved, if I’m being honest, and also I’m pretty proud that I managed to get the team to the finish line,” he said.
“That is a bit sad really because you should never want the finish line to come.
“But for us, just getting there, I felt a huge responsibility for the supporters and for the game in itself to make sure we are there, competing and playing.”
Rowley added: “Everybody at the club, certainly the staff, who have just been immense, are really, really weary now.
“So we will bounce into Friday, we will have some energy and then we will probably all just collapse in a heap after that and enjoy a bit of quality time together, and have a little bit of a reminisce, a little bit of a cry maybe, and then we will do what we are doing.”
Salford look set to either be relegated or wound up at a High Court hearing on October 29 – in which case the likely scenario would be a ‘phoenix club’ then applying for membership of the Championship next year.
“I will keep an open mind on everything, let everything pan out and then will sit and play with the cards that have been dealt at that particular time,” said Rowley, who stressed he was not involved in the club’s internal discussions over not submitting a Super League application.
“I just want Salford to be alive first, to get past the finish line and be alive.
“What league are we in? What will our budget be? There are so many questions, but all these questions are irrelevant if the money doesn’t drop one way or the other.
“The only focus needs to be on having a club, and the rest is all irrelevant.
“The club is bigger than everybody – me, any player – the club is the only thing that matters.”
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