Manchester Evening News

Salford can still dream of Final!

- RUGBY LEAGUE By TOM BRAMWELL

JUST four miles separates the AJ Bell Stadium and Old Trafford, which will tonight host the Grand Final – the pinnacle of the rugby league season, the 80 minutes that will decide the Betfred Super League champions.

Twelve months ago, Salford preserved their top-flight status in the most breathtaki­ng and dramatic circumstan­ces imaginable, thanks to Gareth O’Brien’s 50-yard golden-point dropgoal in the Million Pound Game shoot-out.

And had things worked out slightly differentl­y over the course of the year, O’Brien and his team-mates may well have been walking out tonight at the home of near-neighbours Manchester United.

Coach Ian Watson admitted that being involved in the relegation decider last season significan­tly affected preparatio­ns for this year.

Recruitmen­t had to be put on hold owing to the uncertaint­y surroundin­g which division the club would be competing in, while Salford’s entire approach to 2017 was geared around avoiding falling into the Super 8 Qualifiers again.

“We trained really hard in pre-season because we didn’t want to be anywhere near a Million Pound Game – that was a big focus for us,” revealed Watson.

“And that’s probably something for me as a young coach really to learn from. We absolutely put our boys under the pump.

“We worked really hard to make sure we got to where we wanted to get. We wanted to make sure we got in the top eight, top six if we could.”

The Red Devils surpassed even their own expectatio­ns by securing a spot in the top four at the end of the regular season, entering the Super 8s.

Ultimately, they were unable to kick on and the fact Salford won only two of their final 14 league fixtures, both against Huddersfie­ld Giants, makes it hard to argue the club deserved anything more than a final league placing of seventh – outside the play-offs, a long way from Old Trafford.

One of Watson’s main recruits ahead of the 2017 season was Lee Mossop from Wigan Warriors – an England internatio­nal with NRL experience – but his injury problems recurred and prevented him featuring in the league after April 14.

Vice captain Mark Flanagan, another hugely influentia­l forward, has not been able to play since July 2. Owner Marwan Koukash’s withdrawal from the club is likely to lead to cost-cutting measures – something Todd Carney cited as the reason he has not had his contract renewed.

Ben Murdoch-Masila, Salford’s first Super League Dream Team representa­tive in more than a decade, is expected to move on in the near future, with Warrington Wolves believed to be preparing a deal worth in excess of £150,000.

Lama Tasi may also be on his way out, while captain Michael Dobson is moving back to his native Australia.

As a result, the Red Devils of 2018 are likely to have a very different look, both in terms of personnel and the fact a new club crest is due to be unveiled imminently.

Without the backing of Koukash, Watson is likely to be working on a restricted budget, which may well prevent the club making a serious push for a spot at Old Trafford next year.

But with the progress he has overseen over the last 12 months – which included a first Challenge Cup semifinal in more than two decades – you wouldn’t bet against the Red Devils earning their way to the Theatre of Dreams this time next year.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom