RFL to consider Salford Red Devils sanctions after team selection controversy

The Rugby Football League will decide on Monday whether or not Salford Red Devils will be punished for their controversial team selection against St Helens on Saturday evening.

Salford could be charged with bringing the game into disrepute after they opted to send their reserve side to St Helens for the opening game of the league season. They were subsequently beaten 82-0: a record margin of defeat in Super League history.

Salford opted not to send their available first-team players who featured against Midlands in the Challenge Cup, after the RFL told them salary cap restrictions would not be lifted for the St Helens game. As it stands, Salford can only select £1.2million worth of talent until restrictions are removed.

That does not mean they can rotate players week to week within that £1.2million. Once a player has played, like those in the cup last week, they are on the salary cap for the rest of the year. Salford cannot pick £1.2million of talent to play in a game, drop some of those players and play others the following week.

And Salford’s decision to go with the reserves and not their first-team players who were eligible will be discussed on Monday by the RFL board. If it is deemed they have breached operational rules and brought the game into disrepute, sanctions will be considered.

Salford’s decision has been met with huge backlash. Warrington CEO Karl Fitzpatrick described their actions as ‘tinpot behaviour’, while other officials and former players have also called the Red Devils out, including Hull KR’s Paul Lakin and TV pundits Jon Wilkin and Kyle Amor.

The actions of Salford were amplified given how the defeat to St Helens was live on the BBC in what represented a huge occasion for Super League – but instead led to somewhat humiliating scenes as the Saints racked up the points against a young Salford side.

And there may now be further punishment for the club. They are hopeful restrictions can be removed by the time they play Leeds on Saturday.

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