Salford’s season is already a success
IF SALFORD go the remainder of the Super 8s without winning another match and finish dead last in that stage of the competition, it will still represent a successful season for the club that came within seconds of relegation last year.
Simply finishing in the top eight after 23 rounds of the regular season guaranteed Super League survival, allowing Ian Watson, his coaching staff and CEO Ian Blease to begin preparations for 2018.
Recruitment was put on hold when the Red Devils dropped into the Qualifiers last season as they did not know what division they would be competing in this year, but that simply isn’t the case this time round.
That, plus the experience of coming within 80 minutes of a first Wembley Challenge Cup final in 49 years and producing the performances that saw them end the regular season inside the top four, will undoubtedly serve Salford well on what Watson consistently refers to as a ‘journey.’
It’s a journey towards consistently challenging in the later stages of the cup, regularly putting themselves in the play-off picture and eventually walking off the pitch at Old Trafford and lifting the Super League trophy just four miles from their home at the AJ Bell Stadium.
But if the Red Devils are to do that, they will need to put an end to their current run of form - one win in their last nine Super League fixtures - and ensure there are no such repeats in the future.
Following Friday night’s defeat to league leaders Castleford, Watson acknowledged his side were “missing a bit of know-how” and while it’s probably too simplistic to say it’s been the only reason for their drop off in form, it is very true that Salford have been significantly hindered by injuries.
Coming into the season with a relatively small squad - and without either a reserve team or academy setup from which to pluck replacements - it is perhaps no surprise that the loss of two key players, both of whom have experience of featuring in and winning Grand Finals, has hit the Red Devils hard.
Lee Mossop’s last league game was the win over Leigh on April 14, featuring only in the Challenge Cup victories over Toronto and Hull KR since then and not pulling on a shirt since May 12.
Vice captain Mark Flanagan is the other big miss.
The Red Devils had won nine out of 10 in the league when they beat Warrington on the late May bank holiday weekend and the loose forward’s three appearances since then have been wins over Wakefield in the Challenge Cup quarter-final, Huddersfield in the league and the one-point defeat Helens.
Mossop may yet feature before the Super 8s is out, Flanagan definitely won’t.
The playoffs are possibly already beyond the Red Devils, but if they can finish this season strongly, keep their key players fit and add to the squad, there’s no reason not to think the future is bright. to his former side St