Salford planning super Sundays!
SALFORD’S home matches are set to revert to the traditional Sunday afternoon timeslot for the 2019 Betfred Super League season.
The club has lodged an official request to the RFL to move its matches – which have generally been held on Friday nights at the AJ Bell Stadium – following consultations with their supporters.
After hosting a number of Fan Focus Groups in recent weeks, the Red Devils are keen to do whatever possible to improve the matchday experience for families, children and the community, with a view to boosting attendances.
“Requesting that our games be played on a Sunday afternoon offers the community a better chance to come together and experience a Salford Red Devils gameday to remember,” said a club statement.
“Hopefully, requesting to play on Sunday afternoons is the first step in our movement to re-engage with the local community and nurture the next generation of Red Devils supporters.”
Super League clubs generally select a preferred day for their home fixtures, but it is by no means guaranteed that all will take place on that specified date and time.
Matches selected to be televised by Sky Sports will be required to move to either Thursday or Friday evenings, while there may be instances where additional fixtures must be moved to prevent clubs enduring a short turnaround between games.
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Red Devils forward Craig Kopczak has signed for Wakefield Trinity for the 2019 season. The club announced last week it had accepted an undisclosed transfer fee for the 31-year-old prop, who spent three years at the AJ Bell Stadium.
SWINTON Lions have re-signed a further four players as they continue to build their squad for next season’s Betfred Championship.
Luke Waterworth, Ryan Gray, Jack Hansen and Mike Butt, have all inked new one-year contracts to remain with the Lions.
And winger Butt – who crossed for 10 tries in 2018 – will be an international player when he returns to pre-season training having been handed a late call up to the Wales squad for the European Championship fixtures against Ireland, who will be coached by Swinton boss Stuart Littler.
Following conversations with club team-mate and Wales stalwart Rhodri Lloyd, Butt realised he was eligible to represent The Dragons and was called up by coach John Kear.
“I was out in Mexico for a wedding and I was having a chat with Rhodri Lloyd over text,” Butt explained. “I was saying as a bit of a mess around how I was eligible because my gran was Welsh, but I didn’t actually realise that was the case and it qualified me to play! It’s brilliant news and I can’t wait to get started.”