Salford Red Devils chief makes passionate vow as alarm bells ring in explosive interview

In a truly explosive interview ahead of their clash with Leeds Rhinos, Salford Red Devils CEO Chris Irwin has vowed he will ‘continue to fight for the club’, insisting it is ‘in safe hands’ with him.

Irwin, who previously held a role as Chief Commercial Officer at Salford as well as at Exeter City Football Club, was appointed as the Red Devils’ new CEO back in February shortly after their takeover was completed.

Hailing from the local area, Irwin has been, and continues to be, the voice for the consortium that has taken the club over.

He appeared on Sky Sports ahead of Thursday night’s home game against Leeds, and what was produced was a wide-ranging interview in which he delivered a passionate plea.

‘The club is in safe hands and I’ll ensure that. I will continue to fight for this club’

Salford’s players haven’t been paid on time for the last two months, with numerous players departing the club as a result – including captain Kallum Watkins, whose return to Leeds was confirmed earlier this week.

Providing the latest on the situation, Irwin said: “We’re working through this at the moment, and the owners have asked me to keep the club on a live thread.

“My job at the moment is to control what I can do, and that is to manage the clubs budgets and to bring our costs down significantly, because we were operating far beyond our means.

“That’s what I’m doing at the moment until the significant funds that we need arrive.

“I can fully appreciate why people would be skeptical (about the new owners).

“We’ve all got a responsibility here. Mine is to ensure that club continues to run and to cut the cloth accordingly for that (to happen). We’re asking investors to ensure we have the funds to do that in an effective way.

“The club is in safe hands and I’ll ensure that. I will continue to fight for this club.

“I’m fully with these fans, I’m heartbroken with the situation. I came into this job on the premise that the funds would be here to build the business.

“I’ve been assured by the owners who came in and spoke to squad on Tuesday that it (payroll for April) will (be fulfilled on time).

“It was a tough conversation, it wasn’t easy for anyone in the room.”

‘I’m doing what I have to do to protect the long-term and the short-term interests of the rugby league club’

No secret has been made of the fact that Irwin has been the man between those at Salford and the new ownership group, who have so far failed to deliver on their promises.

Detailing the hardship of the last few months, he said: “I’ve got a really strong relationship with the coaches and with the players.

“They see me as an in-between of them and the owners, and I think for the large part, they feel for me because I’m just passing on information from the owners.

“I’m doing what I have to do to protect the long-term and the short-term interests of the rugby league club.

“We’re right on the wire (with the cash we need) every month.

“(The owners) are drip-feeding cash and until the funds we need arrive, I’ve got to do what I can do to ensure club keeps getting on the field and keeps competing.

“I’m seeing it every day with the players, they are going through the mill with it. It’s an incredibly testing time.

“When you see a squad being taken way from them and their friends leaving, it’s really sad, and I feel it every time I’ve got to move a player on.

“I wasn’t expecting this when I was brought in.”

‘These people in Switzerland and in LA aren’t rugby league people’

The Red Devils remain under an RFL-imposed Sustainability Cap, with Paul Rowley constantly having to re-jig his squad as a result.

Rowley has already used over 40 different players this season, and it’s believed the date of a full resolution to the issues has now been pushed back yet again to mid-May.

Amid a wide-ranging interview pre-match on Thursday night, alarm bells rung when Irwin was asked about the new ownership group in detail.

He explained: “These people in Switzerland and in LA (that are part of the consortium) aren’t rugby league people, this isn’t what their interest is in.

“Their interest is the stadium and the land around it. They’re looking to put a hotel on grounds and an indoor sport arena. That’s where their interests are.

“We will get 20% of the stadium (sale) as a club, and that will give us more protection than we’ve ever had before, so we’ll access those funds at that point.”