Dupree transfer bid, extraordinary Challenge Cup stat and attendance shocker – RL Today

James Gordon
Headingley

Hull KR are reported to have made a six-figure bid for Salford forward Tyler Dupree, who has handed in a transfer request.

Salford confirmed that they had received the request, and that they had rejected it, expressing a desire to retain the new England international.

Dupree is under contract until the end of 2025, and the news comes amidst a fundraising campaign that Salford say will prevent them from having to sell their assets.

A change of Challenge Cup format appears likely, with another disappointing weekend of attendances reflecting declining interest in the competition.

Castleford recorded their lowest crowd in 10 years for their defeat at home to Hull, while Leeds confirmed that 7,103 watched their televised clash with Wigan.

Some forward news in the Championship as Featherstone confirmed the permanent signing of Daniel Smith from Castleford, which hasn’t gone down too well with Tigers fans.

Meanwhile, Widnes have announced that former Super League winner Kyle Amor has retired with immediate effect.

Wigan coach Matt Peet has revealed that everyone has been impressed by Hull KR coach Willie Peters, enjoying a fine start to life in Super League.

St Helens will be without Morgan Knowles for Friday’s visit to Leeds after he was handed a two-match ban following his red card against Halifax on Friday.

Knowles has now been banned for nine matches since he had his ban overturned ahead of last season’s Grand Final.

What’s on social

An extraordinary statistic coming out of the weekend’s Challenge Cup results were that it was the first time in the competition’s history that there was no quarter-finalist from West Yorkshire.

The bottom half of Super League and the top half of the Championship is currently dominated by Yorkshire clubs.

Enjoyed this burn from Warrington reacting some forced social interaction from Leigh ‘we still haven’t got a website’ Leopards.

Leigh are letting their on-field performances do the talking this season.

But I don’t think it’s unrealistic to have expected a professional sports club to get a fully functioning club website sorted within seven months of a re-brand.

Depending on your French, you can check out what the Minister of Sport said in response to a question about the cancellation of the World Cup.

No surprise that ‘money’ was the main point. Conspiracy theories may continue.

Verdict

The Dupree talk is untimely for Salford, who are desperate to maintain a united front given how critical it is that they get as many fans on board their new share scheme as possible.

It’s likely to overshadowed a planned Q&A on Tuesday evening where the club’s directors will present further information on the future of the club and how the scheme will work.

For Dupree, it’s surprising that given the trajectory his career has followed since arriving at the Red Devils that he is already keen to move on.

That may say more about the fragility of Salford’s current status than anything else, but it’s only a year since he left Widnes to move to Salford.

As for Hull KR, not only have they started the season impressively on the pitch, they appear to be at the start of an exciting new era under Willie Peters and the capture of Peta Hiku shows they mean business.

Whether Dupree stays at Salford or not, this could open a can of worms – will more clubs be tempted to throw their hat in to the ring for a young, England international? And does it make Salford vulnerable to bids for their other stars?

Salford appear determined to stand firm – and so they should.

If you’ve got anything you want flagging in a Rugby League Today, drop us a DM @loverugbyleague or email news@loverugbyleague.com

Features Hull KR