RFL chief defends governing body role in Salford Red Devils saga

Rugby Football League chief executive Tony Sutton has defended the governing body’s role in the Salford Red Devils saga: but admits they are ‘open’ to looking back at their actions.

The Red Devils took to the field against Leeds Rhinos on Thursday evening still under hugely restrictive salary cap measures. They have been forced to sell a number of star players to make ends meet, with funds promised by the club’s new owners still yet to arrive.

That has left some pointing the finger at the RFL for allowing the takeover to take place without proper research being done by the governing body into the owners’ past.

They also granted a £500,000 advance on the club’s central distribution, with further rumours they helped pay salaries for the month of February.

But Sutton insists the governing body have done nothing out of the ordinary.

He told Sky Sports: “Previously, with owners that we might not have known before in other transactions who may be coming in from a different league or federation, we’ll do a detailed check on background.

“We might use some independent firms or partners to help us do that, for example. But we will do a level of due diligence, we’ll look at their financial information but also for company information and we’ll do some straight forward internet searches to see what’s out there.

“If that brings up anything, we’ll move forward and check out certain things. We go to the level that we think is required.”

Sutton admitted Salford’s player sales do relate to ‘cost management’ – and they are working with the club on that. He said: “What we’re starting to see now is some high value player movement, which to some degree is about cost management.

“We’re supportive of that, and we’re in conversation regularly with people like Chris Irwin, who is working through some of the actions that we have talked about going all the way back to November.”

But when asked if the governing body would have done anything differently, he said: “I think we’ve played the ball that’s in front of us, to use a sporting analogy.

“We should always, and are always open to looking back and reviewing what we’ve done.

“We think about and assess whether we could or should have done different things, and we will do so, we do that with many different scenarios.

“We’re very aware of our role as a governing body, and of the role that a club should – and do – take, and who sits where in that position.”