Salford could face damages claim and players could sue warns legal expert

Crisis-torn Salford Red Devils could be sued for breach of contract by the players who have left the club and been forced to take a wage cut.

That is the view of Richard Cramer, a long-standing specialist sports lawyer who has worked in rugby league circles for over 30 years.

The Leeds-based legal expert says the situation surrounding the Red Devils is the worst he has ever known in rugby league.

“Salford are on a life support machine and if you turned it off, the club would probably die immediately,” warned Cramer.

Players and staff have repeatedly been paid late, virtually all their key men have gone, and it remains to be seen if Paul Rowley will be able to field a team in Sunday’s home game against Wakefield Trinity.

Chief operating officer Claire Bradbury has also quit and alleged that members of the ownership group suggested she sleep with an individual at the RFL in order to help the club’s cause amid their ongoing crisis.

Cramer told Love Rugby League: “Nearly all Salford’s big-name players have now left and that, most inevitably, is a result of the club being in breach of contract.

“There are duties and obligations imposed on a club to its players which should not be underestimated. They have to provide training facilities, a safe environment to train and play, and most of Salford’s players will have left on the basis that the club has effectively breached their contract.

“Players can therefore exercise a repudiatory breach and you have a scenario where they can leave on a free transfer because the club don’t have the ability to ask for a fee.

“That’s bad news for Salford because undoubtedly some of these players have a value. That’s had a devastating impact on the club, albeit they have got them off the wage bill and saved money.

“But if I was a player who had left the club and taken a pay-cut elsewhere – just to ensure I get paid – I would probably reserve my right to make a damages claim against the club.

“At the moment, though, it’s not even worth proceeding with the claim because the club clearly has no money.

“If they get a new owner, or a better cash-flow situation, then players could pile in with potential claims.

“But it’s almost inevitable that players will be taking pay-cuts because a good few have dropped down into the Championship.

“Salford could face a damages claim for the financial shortfall that players have incurred.”

Cramer said there were huge concerns about playing a team full of youngsters and loanees in a Super League game.

He continued: “When you have a team full of young kids then you have a health and safety issue.

“Players might be playing because they feel it’s the right thing to do.

“But it’s within the rights of most of them to say ‘I don’t want to play in an unsafe, unstructured environment whilst there are medical and health and safety issues’.

“Can the club honour its obligation to get players immediately fit and the best medical attention? You would have your doubts.

“Whichever way you look at it, there are so many legal issues at play here.”

Chief among them is muddling on to the end of the season to ensure fixtures are played and the broadcast contract is honoured.

Cramer explained: “The only reason why Salford are still playing is because the RFL are absolutely desperate to avoid a breach of the broadcast deal with Sky.

“The contract will be absolutely conditional on 12 teams playing in the competition week in and week out and sticking to the fixture list.

“That’s important for Sky because they obviously schedule the games and it’s put the RFL under more pressure because every game is televised.

“That debacle at Hull FC last week – with clubs lending players to Salford – was not played because it was a great experience for the players.

“It was played to protect the broadcast deal and the RFL assisted that by providing dispensation for so many players to join Salford on loan.

“It was played because it’s potentially a catastrophic outcome if Salford couldn’t fulfil the fixture.

“That would put the RFL in serious breach of their broadcasting deal and there could be some big financial penalties for that.

“No-one has really come out and said that, but it’s been like that from day one when they played St Helens and got beat 82-0.

“Again, that should not be underestimated.”

Cramer pointed the finger at the governing body, adding: “The RFL must be culpable in all this.

“Why did they allow a takeover to happen without proper due diligence? What levels of checks did they actually do? Did this ownership pay a bond to the RFL to ensure liabilities are met?

“Salford have been getting advances from the RFL since the former owners were in control.

“There’s just nothing left of the first-team and this is a massive crisis for the game. A lot of questions need answering and the supporters have created their own pressure group, The 1873.

“The problem is that Salford’s players are badly exposed because they don’t have any real union support.

“In football, when you have a crisis at a club like Sheffield Wednesday, the PFA (Professional Footballers’ Association) are a very wealthy organisation who can step in and help pay wages.

“All rugby league really has is something like Rugby League Cares, but that’s just sticking a little plaster over a huge gaping wound. It’s just a terrible situation all round.”