Paul Rowley slams Sam Stone’s refusal to play in damning assessment of star

Salford Red Devils coach Paul Rowley has confirmed that Sam Stone refused to play in their defeat to St Helens on Sunday: and insists he will not train or play for the club ever again.

Stone pulled out of the Salford side on Saturday morning, a decision Rowley hit out at post-match before admitting the Red Devils will now negotiate a deal with the club who have approached him, believed to be Warrington Wolves.

Rowley pulled no punches when asked about Stone’s decision, confirming: “Sam Stone did that. That’s on him.”

Rowley then said irrespective of whether he leaves the club in the next week, Stone has now ended his own Salford career through his actions.

The Red Devils coach said: “He won’t be training or playing anymore for us. We’ll negotiate a deal with the club that he’s been talking to.”

Rowley also revealed that the playing group at Salford were disappointed in Stone’s actions – insisting the player has gone about securing his exit the ‘wrong way’.

He said: “I get it on a lot of fronts. But there’s a right way of doing things and a wrong way. The players weren’t happy with that. You live and die by your own decisions.

“Everyone has got a choice to make and that doesn’t sit well with anyone at the club. We’re empathetic and understanding of one another but there’s a right way of doing things.”

And Rowley admitted they will now once again try and head into the transfer market themselves in a desperate bid to find new recruits to move off the bottom of the Super League table.

“We will certainly have a look,” Rowley told Sky Sports. “Everyone is getting beat up at the minute and is short of troops and we’re no different but we’ll carry on regardless.”