Rugby League

[75A]

Not really a match between comparatives, as the Australian women's game if far more developed as a sport and consequently played at a much higher level in all respects.

You can say that about most sports that Oz play!

 

[1D54]

Courtesy of the BBC.


Salford Red Devils have been placed back under sustainability cap restrictions with immediate effect amid continued uncertainty about the financial health of the club.

A delay receiving cleared funds following last month's takeover by an investment group led by Swiss banker Dario Berta has left players still waiting to be paid for February.

The reinstatement of the cap by the Rugby Football League means head coach Paul Rowley will once again be unable to field his first-choice side when Salford make the trip to Castleford Tigers on Friday. Despite returning to full strength after RL Commercial lifted the original cap, they followed that with a 32-6 home loss to Leeds Rhinos.

Then, in round three last Thursday, they went down 42-0 at Hull KR with Rowley admitting that non payment of salaries to players had contributed to the result.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Courtesy of the BBC.


Salford Red Devils have been placed back under sustainability cap restrictions with immediate effect amid continued uncertainty about the financial health of the club.

A delay receiving cleared funds following last month's takeover by an investment group led by Swiss banker Dario Berta has left players still waiting to be paid for February.

Has any explanation been offered for the delay stated above?

 

[1D54]

Everything seems to have gone very quiet. There is either a genuine reason why the take over has not gone through but with every passing day it is looking like it was never a serious bid in the first place.

It really needs sorting and because it is so early in the SL season it would be easy to just get rid of them and expunge the results of the 3 games they have played. P3 W0 D0 L3 F6 A156 is looking terrible already and after all the the plaudits the game got last weekend in Vegas it's a shame the very same competition is now on the brink of being made a laughing stock.

 

[weepingwillowb]

Anyone recognise this Rugby League ground? Photographed by me in 1988, it's now covered by a housing estate. The away team in black was Fulham.

​

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Might well be the one-time McLaren Field, Bramley. Vacated in 1995, and as the say, now a housing estate in its place. If it was the match played October 1988, Bramley won this one 30-8.

 

[weepingwillowb]

Correct. I thought the 'McLar' sign to the right of picture would have been a big clue, but you didn't need it. Well done.

McLaren Field was one of the venues in the 1989 Student R.L. World Cup, where Wales defeated Holland 48-10; the attendance was 483 (including me).

 

[Old Yard Dog]

McLaren Field was also the home of Bradford (Park Avenue) FC from 1989 to 1993. Sadly relations broke down between the two clubs forcing Bradford to up sticks and move to Batley RLFC's Mount Pleasant ground for the next three seasons. That was a pity as I supported both clubs. Bradford finally returned to Horsfall Stadium in Bradford in 1996.

The Bradford vs Burscough FA Cup tie at McLaren Field in 1992 was postponed at the last minute as the grass was too long! Bramley refused to cut it as that would invalidate their reseeding warranty. So the game and its replay were both played at Burscough, where Bradford never lost in over a dozen visits. Ironically Batley's Mount Pleasant hardly had a blade of grass on it when we played there!

Bradford's move to Horsfall was delayed by a year which almost cost us promotion to the NPL. The jobsworth's at the NPL said we hadn't filled our forms out correctly and promoted NWCL runners up Clitheroe instead. Fortunately Bradford were successful in their subsequent appeal to the FA.

McLaren Field used to be called the Barley Mow when it was at a slightly different orientation. Sadly I never got to see the ground it before it was "shifted".

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Looks like Cornwall RLFC have folded/resigned from League One.

Lack of finance seems to have been the key issue.

Cornwall RLFC: League One side folds due to finance issues

League One side Cornwall RLFC fold due to financial issues, just four years after being formed.

www.bbc.com

Extract...

League One side Cornwall RLFC have folded because of financial issues and have pulled out of League One with immediate effect as a result.

The club, which was formed in 2021, was taken over by Cornish businessman Kenny Stone in November.

But Stone says he is unable to bring in new investors to help fund them going forward.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Looks like Cornwall RLFC have folded/resigned from League One.

Lack of finance seems to have been the key issue.

Cornwall RLFC: League One side folds due to finance issues

League One side Cornwall RLFC fold due to financial issues, just four years after being formed.

www.bbc.com

Extract...

Their last two matches played were on their home ground, Festival Ground in Penryn:-

23rd March.....Cornwall RLFC 32...Newcastle Thunder 22

30th March.....Cornwall RLFC 6...Whitehaven 78

This decision will see a cost saving to other teams in that league, not having to travel the long distance to Cornwall.

 

[1D54]

Perez and Stone undoubtedly put a pile of money in to this venture but it was surely doomed to fail from day 1 and blaming the situation in the USA is an easy cop out. What chance does RL seriously have in a hot bed of RU? What sort of crowds were they getting? It's still a very sad day for the sport though as we seem to be losing a club every season. I'm all for expansion but it just doesn't seem to work outside of the heartlands of the game and should tell Anglian Vipers everything they need to know should they attempt to replace them next season.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Noting the quality of the players still available to Salford Red Devils, I wonder how such a team would fare in the Betfred Championship?

Not unsurprisingly, in the Super League, they were defeated at home 6 - 38 by Hull FC

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Noting the quality of the players still available to Salford Red Devils, I wonder how such a team would fare in the Betfred Championship?

Probably do quite well, IMHO, as they'll, more than likely, find out next season, if, of course, the Red Devils haven't gone bust in the meantime. They are still in need of a decent half back; as Marc Sneyd's move to Warrington back in March was a significant loss.

 

[Amos]

Noting the quality of the players still available to Salford Red Devils, I wonder how such a team would fare in the Betfred Championship?

You’ll get an idea of how they will fare against championship standard sides when they play Warrington on 4th July.

 

[1D54]

Any news on the proposed takeover, if not are the players being paid?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Any news on the proposed takeover, if not are the players being paid?

Moot point as to what the primary motivation is/was of the new ownership consortium at Salford; seems that the new owners might not be the 'white knights' they were originally made out to be. In the meantime, the Red Devils' players and staff have reportedly not been paid promptly on more than the one occasion this season, with rumours circulating of a bridging loan having now been taken out, in order to see the season out. The Club also faces a winding-up petition from HMRC over unpaid tax bills.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Moot point as to what the primary motivation is/was of the new ownership consortium at Salford; seems that the new owners might not be the 'white knights' they were originally made out to be. In the meantime, the Red Devils' players and staff have reportedly not been paid promptly on more than the one occasion this season, with rumours circulating of a bridging loan having now been taken out, in order to see the season out. The Club also faces a winding-up petition from HMRC over unpaid tax bills.

What would be the soonest time when the winding-up petition is likely to be dealt with?

Glad nonetheless that another local team, Leigh Leopards, have had a good league season after last seasons cup win.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

What would be the soonest time when the winding-up petition is likely to be dealt with?

Believe the Salford Red Devils winding up petition is being heard on Thursday 26th June 2025, so maybe might know more then?

Glad nonetheless that another local team, Leigh Leopards, have had a good league season after last seasons cup win.

Certainly helps that they (Leigh) have a well-heeled owner/backer to help plug the likely large gap between income and expenditure.

 

[1D54]

Makes you wonder who is providing the money for this bridging loan at SRD and will the money be used to pay players or HMRC. It sounds like they could be running out of time but it won't look good for the RFL if the plug is pulled before the end of the season.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Makes you wonder who is providing the money for this bridging loan at SRD and will the money be used to pay players or HMRC.

You'd like to think that both parties will get paid in full. The silence, and lack of clarity, coming from the Salford club is, however, deafening. Good question about where the money needed to repay the "bridging loan" is ultimately coming from? RFL central funding? Some asset sale (but what is there at the Club to sell?) The promised funding by the consortium? Can't imagine it'll be future gate receipts or 2026 season ticket sales.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Two things come to mind, when considering the Salford affair:-
1)...Chief Executive Chris Irwin resigned less than three months after taking that role
2)...Salford City Council pulled out of negotitions to buy the stadium in May.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

What would be the soonest time when the winding-up petition is likely to be dealt with?

Been adjourned until some time in September 2025, apparently.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

When will the Super Laegue fixtures for the 2025/2026 season due to come out?

 

[1D54]

Super League fixtures for this season were released last November.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

When will the Super Laegue fixtures for the 2025/2026 season due to come out?

There is no 2025/26 season. It's all played in the same calendar year, these days, and has been since 1996. The current 2025 season started in mid February and for half the teams ends in mid September 2025 (noting the end of season play off 'Grand Final' won't be staged until Saturday 11th October 2025). Fixtures for 2026 will likely be announced in late November 2025 (T.B.C.)

 

[1D54]

Been adjourned until some time in September 2025, apparently.

With bridging loan in place no doubt and more debt accumulated. Are Salford just playing the long game in the hope of investment coming in? If it doesn't then there will be only one outcome.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

With bridging loan in place no doubt and more debt accumulated. Are Salford just playing the long game in the hope of investment coming in? If it doesn't then there will be only one outcome.

Who really knows? There's a fair lack of any clarity/detail in what's happening. Suspect that they are effectively being allowed by the RFL to see the 2025 season out, before inevitably then losing their place in Super League and having to regroup in a lower division.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Who really knows? There's a fair lack of any clarity/detail in what's happening. Suspect that they are effectively being allowed by the RFL to see the 2025 season out, before inevitably then losing their place in Super League and having to regroup in a lower division.

Losing an early season home game 0-82 was a premonition of what was to come. I am pleased that Mark Sneyd can now play in a side worthy of his talents.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jun 2025 ==

Betfred Super League

St Helens 58 ... Salford Red Devils 0

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Every dog has its day. Today's Super League fixture finished Salford Red Devils 26 Castleford Tigers 22. (H.T. 16-10).

Entertaining match played in very warm conditions between two teams at the wrong end of Super League. Big shout out to the Salford veteran prop forward Chris Hill (37) and man-of-the-match Jack Ormondroyd (33). First win for Salford after thirteen defeats.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It is a very worrying situation for Salford Red Devils as the Sunday match against Wakefield has been cancelled, citing "Welfare Concerns".

The original playing squad has seen departure after departure for some considerable time now, starting with the best players such as Marc Sneyd, and it was said that of the remaining 17 players, some younger loanees from other clubs, only two had any Super League playing experience in the last twelve months. I wonder what the RFL will do about this fixture?