‘F*cking bored’: Jon Wilkin blasts Salford Red Devils owners in x-rated rant

Sky Sports pundit Jon Wilkin has berated Salford’s ownership group and urged them to ‘do the right thing’ in an x-rated rant with the Red Devils’ financial plight still ongoing.

Having started back in November, Salford‘s off-field plight has had a huge impact on their on-field abilities throughout the season so far.

Currently under an RFL-imposed Sustainability Cap for the second time this year with wages having been paid late for the last two months, the situation has plagued not just the club, but Super League as a whole in terms of dominating headlines.

With goalposts constantly changing, and the remaining issues surrounding the takeover not set to be resolved until mid-May at the earliest now, plenty of players have gone through the exit doors at the Salford Community Stadium.

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‘F*cking bored’: Jon Wilkin blasts Salford Red Devils owners in x-rated rant

To name just three, Marc Sneyd has joined Warrington Wolves, Brad Singleton has linked up with Castleford Tigers and club captain Kallum Watkins has returned to Leeds Rhinos.

Now officially the skipper having been the vice-captain prior to Watkins’ exit, full-back Ryan Brierley appeared on Sky’s ‘The Bench‘ podcast this week with Wilkin and Jenna Brooks.

Filmed prior to Salford’s 28-0 defeat at home against Leeds Rhinos last Thursday night, Wilkin scathed: “I’m just f*cking bored.

“I’m sorry, but I’m just bored of it because the people who are really affected are talented athletes and staff who work really hard.

“What they’re essentially in the middle of is a land grab by wealthy real estate people, and nobody is saying it.

“They’ve no interest in rugby, they want to build a hotel, they want to advertise to people driving over Barton Bridge.

“It’s an embarrassment, honestly.”

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‘If it’s about money, just be honest… do the right thing’

After the episode had been filmed and during the build-up to the Red Devils’ Round 7 clash with Leeds, Wilkin laid into CEO Chris Irwin live on Sky and received plenty of praise from the rugby league community on social media for doing so.

On the podcast, he continued: “If it’s about money, just be honest, just say ‘we’ve bought the club because it’s a real estate venture for us. We’ve bought the club because we had to take the club on. We didn’t really want it so we’re not going to pump money in’.

“If the ownership have got any decency, just fess up the money to cover the costs for the rest of the year and if you’ve got no interest in doing that, do the right thing and tell people.

“None of this dripping bits in and keeping these guys on the hook.”

Wilkin and Brierley were team-mates at Toronto Wolfpack when the Canadian outfit hit financial problems of their own back in 2020.

Wolfpack players from then still haven’t been paid all of the money they’re owed, and Brierley responded to Wilkin’s comments on the new Salford owners by saying: “I’m buzzing he’s said it.

“He cops a lot of s*it from people, but at the moment, we’re hamstrung with the not knowing and it’s really hurting us.

“There’s not just me, the lads aren’t in a good place.

“To see a senior professional who’s won everything to come out live and back us publicly means a lot.”

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