Who steps into Niall’s boots at Red Devils?
THE DEPARTURE OF EVALDS LEAVES A DIFFICULT DECISION FOR BOSS WATSON
THE departure of Niall Evalds at the end of the season will come as a significant blow for Salford.
Not only does it see the club lose one of their star players without receiving a transfer fee, it also leaves coach Ian Watson and director of rugby Ian Blease with the unenviable task of replacing a player who has become integral to the way the Red Devils operate on the field, both in defence and attack.
And with the full impact of the coronavirus-enforced shutdown – both in financial terms and reduced ability to negotiate with both your own players and potential new recruits – not yet known, it is certainly going to be a challenge to fill Evalds’ boots.
So what might the two Ians choose to do?
■ STICK WITH WHAT YOU KNOW THERE’S been a conscious effort from the Red Devils recruitment team in recent years to add versatility across the squad and this is particularly evident in the back’s department. Dan Sarginson and Ken Sio are both on long-term deals at the AJ Bell Stadium and both have Super League experience of performing in the number one jumper, with Wigan Warriors and Hull KR respectively.
Although both impressed in the early rounds of the season in their current positions – so much so that Sarginson was recalled to the England fold under new boss Shaun Wane – they each have the attributes required to flourish at full-back, potentially meaning the cap space freed up by Evalds could be spent elsewhere.
■ TRY A FRENCH FANCY
THERE are two notable French fullbacks that are likely to be available at the end of the season.
Tony Gigot’s contentious ‘trial’ period at Toronto Wolfpack was cut short by the sport’s shut down in
March, and it remains to be seen whether he has done enough to earn a full contract.
Although his unpredictability can prove frustrating for team-mates, fans and coaches alike, the French international undoubtedly has quality – and Watson might just be the perfect coach to bring it out of him in a controlled manner. Gigot’s former Catalans Dragons team-mate Morgan Escare could be another alternative. He’s seemingly on the outer at Wigan and didn’t feature at all in the Warriors’ pre-shut down fixtures, having spent time on loan at Wakefield Trinity last year. The diminutive speedster impressed when deputising for Sam Tomkins in 2018 and is out of contract at the end of the season.
■ A HULL OF A DEAL? ANOTHER player whose contract is set to expire this year is Hull FC fullback Jamie Shaul. The 27-year-old was one of the first names on the black and whites’ team sheet under Lee Radford, but may be tempted to move on now that his former coach has been dismissed.
It is thought that Castleford Tigers showed significant interest in Shaul before securing Evalds’ signature and the one-time England international may be tempted by the chance to link up with Watson – the coach who developed Evalds into a genuine prospect to feature in next year’s Rugby League World Cup.
■ THE PRODIGAL SON
GARETH O’Brien’s departure from the AJ Bell Stadium was somewhat acrimonious, but the transfer fee received helped the Red Devils through an extremely sticky financial period and allowed Evalds to flourish.
Still, the 28-year-old remains responsible for the most significant moment in Salford’s recent history – that Million Pound Game drop-goal – and as a player well-known to the coaching staff and many of the squad, would probably be the least risky of the options listed.
Evalds has been integral to the way the Devils operate on the field
Tom Bramwell