Paul Rowley’s comedic quip as end of ‘rollercoaster’ Salford Red Devils season nears

Salford boss Paul Rowley joked that the Red Devils’ Mad Monday ‘will be great’ as the financially-stricken club near the end of a dismal campaign for all concerned.

Amid a financial crisis which has been ongoing since last November, Rowley has seen players come and go from his squad frequently.

The squad with which he began the year in a Challenge Cup Third Round tie at Midlands Hurricanes is unrecognisable when compared to the one which will end the season at home against Wakefield Trinity on Friday night.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, just five wins have come the Red Devils’ way all year, and two of those were in the cup: including that trip to Midlands back in early February.

Paul Rowley’s comedic quip as end of ‘rollercoaster’ Salford Red Devils season nears

As an indicator of just how bad the situation has been, Rowley is now up to squad number 72: which was handed to former Wakefield man Isaac Shaw after his arrival on a short-term deal until the end of the season last month.

In his pre-match press conference on Wednesday afternoon, the Salford head coach was asked about how he’d sum up the year, and joked about ‘Mad Monday’, the tradition which sees rugby league teams spend a day drinking together: usually on the Monday after their campaign comes to an end.

Rowley joked: “There’s always a positive, and Mad Monday should be great, shouldn’t it?!

“72 players… it would prove for a pretty interesting party!”

Salford have finished in Super League‘s top six in two of the last three seasons, and ended up just two competition points outside the play-offs in 2023.

This term, they sit bottom with one round remaining, and will finish there even if they spring a shock on Wakefield this weekend.

Rowley added: “It’s been a journey, that’s for sure. A journey, perhaps a rollercoaster, call it what you will.

“It’s been a different challenge, and it’s not been a challenge in terms of coaching. It’s been a challenge in terms of managing people, human beings with real-life concerns.

“Other than this year, it’s been an unbelievable privilege (to head up Salford). I’m very lucky and very grateful, I’ve loved every minute and everybody I’ve met along the way.

“I went to a Kevin Sinfield talk last night and a lot of the stuff he says resonates.

“He talked about there being a lot of things that inspire you along the way: the people in the dressing room, the people in the back office, the people on the terraces… it’s been a privilege.”