RFL boss explains Salford financial deadlines and survival hopes

RFL supremo Tony Sutton insists there is “no set deadline” for Salford to resolve their financial crisis as he declared himself “hopeful” of them lasting the season.

The cash-strapped Red Devils remain in special measures and under a £1.2million sustainability cap due to a major cashflow problem.

The club was taken over by a consortium in February but the takeover has raised more questions than answers.

Salford chief executive Chris Irwin had admitted the ownership consortium “aren’t rugby league people” and that their primary interest is in acquiring the land around the Salford Community Stadium.

Player and staff wages have been paid late for the past two months and the RFL’s handling of the saga has come under mounting scrutiny.

Key players Marc Sneyd, Tim Lafai, Brad Singleton and Kallum Watkins have already been offloaded in a drastic cost-cutting measure.

Chris Atkin and Deon Cross are also expected to leave but Sutton said the governing body would not impose a timescale on the club’s predicament being determined.

“From our point of view, there will be no set deadline,” he told reporters before Salford’s 28-0 home stuffing at the hands of Leeds Rhinos on Thursday night.

“We will look at each week as it unfolds, if you like.

“If you take the sustainability cap – and a positive outcome for that – we would want to see positive actions taken by the club and increased assurance about its financial sustainability on a longer-term basis.

“That could – in that instance – therefore lead to a change in the cap but they are actions that the club would need to take.

“The parameters of the sustainability cap for Salford were set in either late November or early December and we particularly set that early to let the club plan how it would be able to work within that.

“And therefore the management of that cap is a club decision and it’s up to them how they do so.

“We can set the club parameters within the financial sustainability framework that we have – but it’s up to the club to take the actions to deal with that how they choose to.”

Asked if he could see a chink of light on the horizon at Salford, Sutton said: “I think those are questions for the club to answer in terms of the steps it will take to become more financially sustainable on a longer-term basis.”

It is thought Salford have already slashed around £600,000 from their wage bill by selling key players and Sutton said that was a step in the right direction.

“I think those were quite big moves in terms of moving towards a more financially sustainable model for the club,” he added.

“There would be a number of different actions that they could do but that’s up to the club to decide which ones are most relevant.

“We would just assess that as they take those decisions.”

Sutton revealed the RFL’s dialogue with Salford is conducted mainly through Irwin as opposed to any of the consortium members lurking in the background.

“On a more one-to-one and regular basis, the contact would be with Chris and there are other conversations with the ownership group but on a less regular basis,” he explained.

Salford had emerged as a coming force in the game under Paul Rowley but their long-term future in Super League has now been plunged into huge doubt.

Asked if he believed the Red Devils would be in the top flight in 2026, Sutton replied: “I absolutely hope so.

“I think we all remember the play-off game here [against Leigh] last year which was a tremendous spectacle for our sport.

“We would want to see a return to that type of event here and there are super-positive outcomes of events like that for the city of Salford and fans of the sport.

“That was Salford at its best and it’s what we want to see more and more. Our objective – going back to late November or early December – was to get a positive outcome for fans, sponsors and players and staff at the club as well.

“That’s what we continue to hold as an objective – 12 clubs starting the men’s Super League and 12 clubs finishing the men’s Super League.

“We’ll do what we can to provide the support to allow the club to do so.”

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