Chase delighted to lead way into new Salford era

Castleford Tigers star Rangi Chase admits he is “relieved” to finally reveal he is, indeed, part of the Salford Red Devils revolution, writes Dave Craven.
By The Newsroom
Published 6th Sep 2013, 09:22 BST
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The former Man of Steel was unveiled as one of eight new signings by the re-named club yesterday along with England team-mate Gareth Hock and Batley Bulldogs duo Jason Walton and Greg Johnson.

Mercurial stand-off Chase, 27, was clearly the major arrival as ambitious owner Marwan Koukash and head coach Brian Noble outlined bold plans for the future.

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The New Zealand-born playmaker is expected to be in Steve McNamara’s World Cup squad this autumn and was the subject of two failed Salford bids earlier this year.

But Chase, who will play his final Castleford game at Wakefield on Sunday, handed in a transfer request last month and said: “It’s a big day for the club and it’s an honour to be here.

“It’s a relief to get it out; it’s been the worst-kept secret.

“It’s very exciting waiting for next year to happen. It’s going to be a big year and I can’t wait to be part of the transformation of the club. The sky is the limit for us.”

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St Helens forward Tony Puletua, Wakefield Trinity half-back Tim Smith and London Broncos’ Tommy Lee, the former Hull FC and Huddersfield hooker, were also unveiled with Parramatta full-back Jake Mullaney.

Deals had already been agreed with Adrian Morley (Warrington), Junior Sa’u (Melbourne Storm), Francis Meli (St Helens) and Steve Rapira (New Zealand Warriors).

Salford – 13th but promising to shake up Super League ever since Koukash took over in January – say the new signings between them boast 1,000 Super League appearances, more than 700 NRL matches and over 100 international caps.

Noble said: “I’m really excited about the prospects for the season – it’s going to be one hell of a ride.”

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Hock was due to join NRL club Parramatta Eels for 2014 but pulled out of the move for personal reasons.

Hard-hitting centre Walton, meanwhile, has been a Championship top performer for years and fully deserves his second chance after making five appearances for Salford in 2009.

Similarly, winger Johnson featured a dozen times with Wakefield two years ago.

Related topics:SalfordCastleford Tigers