Red Devils to continue their Grand victory plan
LAST year was a special one for Salford, with the club defying all expectations to reach a maiden Grand Final at Old Trafford.
Talismanic halfback Jackson Hastings was named the Steve Prescott Man of Steel and coach Ian Watson rewarded for his incredible work with a spot as an assistant to Wayne Bennett on the Great Britain tour of the southern hemisphere.
The task for the Red Devils now is to build on the progress made last season, which has the potential to prove truly transformational.
Because of the well-documented financial uncertainties at the club, many players had agreed to leave the AJ Bell Stadium well ahead of the run to Old Trafford. As a result, key figures such as Josh Jones, George Griffin and Hastings will be turning out for rival Super League sides in 2020.
Those arrangements are made possible because of the rules that allow players who are out of contract at the end of the current season to begin talks with other teams from May 1 - just three months into the campaign.
A solid start to the new season would put Salford in a stronger position at that time of year. Now they have proved capable of competing at the top of Super League, star men should no longer feel the need to leave to further their opportunities to win silverware.
Recruitment has been key for several years. Despite operating on a vastly inferior budget to many of their top-flight rivals, director of rugby Ian Blease and Watson have consistently proven their ability to regenerate the Red Devils squad, combining proven Super League and international quality with undervalued additions from the lower leagues.
Despite the big names that have departed, the two Ians have again demonstrated their prowess in this area, bringing in Super League winner Dan Sarginson from Wigan, England international half-back Kevin Brown from Warrington and a trio of London Broncos in Elliot Kear, Rhys Williams and Luke Yates.
As usual, Salford will begin the season with one of the smallest squads in the league, but again, there is utility value in many of the signings. Pretty much all of the outside backs could feature on the wing or at centre, while Chris Atkin - the former Swinton Lions star recruited from Hull KR - is comfortable in the halves, full-back or hooker.
While Hastings has only arrived in Wigan this week because of his commitments with Great Britain, the bulk of the Red Devils squad have been in pre-season training from early November, developing the combinations, relationships and core fitness that will be crucial if they are to again compete at the top end of Super League.
The heartbeat of the team may be different in 2020, but Salford have recruited strongly and seem capable of building on the progress made last year.
Grand Final success may elude the club for a little while longer, but should the resurgent attendances experienced at the back end of last season continue to grow, they should be well set for the years to come.