Paul Rowley: Salford’s survival is the only thing that matters

Coach Paul Rowley is relieved to have been able to take crisis-riddled Salford through to their final game of the Betfred Super League season, but maintains the club’s survival in any form is all that matters.

The Red Devils have been battling severe cash-flow problems since a takeover ahead of the start of the campaign – and could have gone out of business but for a winding-up petition served on them to twice be adjourned.

Salford, who failed to field a team against Wakefield last month citing player welfare concerns, are not among the nine clubs who have submitted formal applications to be part of a prospective 14-team Super League in 2026.

Despite all of the issues he has faced – which included a raft of player departures – Rowley remains immensely proud of taking the Red Devils into what looks increasingly likely to be a final match in the top flight against Wakefield on Friday.

“I am relieved, if I’m being honest, and also I’m pretty proud that I managed to get the team to the finish line,” he said.

“That is a bit sad really because you should never want the finish line to come.

“But for us, just getting there, I felt a huge responsibility for the supporters and for the game in itself to make sure we are there, competing and playing.”

Rowley added: “Everybody at the club, certainly the staff, who have just been immense, are really, really weary now.

“So we will bounce into Friday, we will have some energy and then we will probably all just collapse in a heap after that and enjoy a bit of quality time together, and have a little bit of a reminisce, a little bit of a cry maybe, and then we will do what we are doing.”

Salford look set to either be relegated or wound up at a High Court hearing on October 29 – in which case the likely scenario would be a ‘phoenix club’ then applying for membership of the Championship next year.

“I will keep an open mind on everything, let everything pan out and then will sit and play with the cards that have been dealt at that particular time,” said Rowley, who stressed he was not involved in the club’s internal discussions over not submitting a Super League application.

“I just want Salford to be alive first, to get past the finish line and be alive.

“What league are we in? What will our budget be? There are so many questions, but all these questions are irrelevant if the money doesn’t drop one way or the other.

“The only focus needs to be on having a club, and the rest is all irrelevant.

“The club is bigger than everybody – me, any player – the club is the only thing that matters.”