Devils have winning formula for support
SALFORD kick-off their home Betfred Super League campaign today and on the back of a bumper away following for last week’s round one fixture at Huddersfield, there is a real hope that home attendances will pick up this year.
Although the Red Devils finished 2018 strongly, crowds dwindled, largely as a result of poorer results early in the first part of the season and the traditional downturn for the Super 8s, when matches were scheduled at much shorter notice. Director of rugby Ian Blease is confident that Salford fans will again come out and support their team, particularly as there is a growing confidence that this could be a good year for the club.
“It’s understandable that if you’re not playing well and you’re getting beaten, the walk-up is not going to be as good,” he said ahead of today’s game with London Broncos.
“If we can play well and get a couple of victories early doors – and we’ve certainly got the talent to do that - the fans will back us and we’ll get them back through the door again.
“If you look two years ago when we finished fourth in the regular season and got to the semi-final of the Challenge Cup, we had 4,500 as an average crowd and we had some belting support - up to 6,500.
“It’s really exciting that we’ve assembled a good squad together, but it depends on wins and victories, at home particularly and if we do that, they’ll come back in - and we’ll get new fans through the door as well.
“We’re really trying to get out into the community, which we’ve not properly done in a long, long time, so I’m quite excited to see what happens.”
Full-back Niall Evalds was instrumental in the victory over the Giants, scoring a hat-trick, and he revealed after the match that his side had been lifted by the travelling support.
He said: “It gives us such a boost when we’re in a tough game.
“When your lungs are hurting and it’s just an arm wrestle, having the fans get behind you is such a boost. They were outstanding.
“In the second half when we had the game wrapped up and the fans were all behind us, the atmosphere was outstanding.
“We just need the same turnout for the home match against London.”
Swinton, meanwhile, will have four players available on dual-registration from Super League champions Wigan Warriors for this afternoon’s visit of Bradford Bulls, including centre Chris Hankinson, who joined the club from the Lions midway through 2018.
The Bulls, recent winners of the pre-season Yorkshire Cup competition, have bolstered their forward ranks with the loan signing of former Salford forward Olsi Krasniqi on loan from Toronto Wolfpack and he goes straight into the squad who are travelling over to Heywood Road today.