The secret of Salford Red Devils’ success - and how they left Leeds Rhinos and Hull FC in the shade

Last Friday, Krisnan Inu kicked an 88th-minute drop goal to beat Hull KR, clinching for the Salford Red Devils their highest ever Super League finish - third.
Salford's Jackson Hastings has been one of their star men this season (Picture: SWPix.com)Salford's Jackson Hastings has been one of their star men this season (Picture: SWPix.com)
Salford's Jackson Hastings has been one of their star men this season (Picture: SWPix.com)
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They have been rewarded with an away play-off fixture against a resurgent Wigan, but few expected Salford to be in this position in pre-season.

In fact, most predicted only London Broncos would finish below them, and the Greater Manchester outfit would be playing for their careers, not medals at this stage of the season.

Salford Red Devils head coach Ian Watson (Picture: PA)Salford Red Devils head coach Ian Watson (Picture: PA)
Salford Red Devils head coach Ian Watson (Picture: PA)
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Many made those predictions based on the financial resources – or lack thereof – the Red Devils have at their disposal, which was intensified by the exit of owner Dr Marwan Koukash in 2018.

Coach Ian Watson told the Yorkshire Post that Salford employ only “six backroom staff” – including medical and coaching personnel.

Fans still donate to the playing budget through the club’s “Squad Builder” initiative, which helped sign Australian Jackson Hastings.

The Red Devils really have it tough, so how have they become contenders for the biggest prize in northern hemisphere Rugby League?

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In the wake of the win over KR, Watson said he believed the answer lay in the club’s togetherness: “Everyone knows what’s required of them… at times they all know they’ve got to

multi-task, they have to roll their sleeves up as well and get a little dirty.

“It’s about being together and working together as well, and I’d say that’s been the biggest thing that’s stemmed out of our club this year”.

That ability to work together drives up standards, Watson adds. There is no room for mistakes, and each team member is “focused on doing their job”.

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“That’s a big one for us - everyone works together and everyone does their job.”

As Salford have begun to click, and then exude self-belief, the wins have started to come.

Hull KR was their eighth straight victory, a run stretching back to July 12 when they overturned then-second placed Warrington in Cheshire.

Along the way, they’ve flattened Hull FC – which truly showed which of these sides was ready for the play-offs – again overcome Warrington, won at Headingley for the first time since 1976, and gained valuable knock-out rugby experience last time out with the golden-point win.

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Players define wins as much as tries do. Wigan-bound Hastings has been brilliant in the halves – fellow Dream Team man Josh Jones embodied a second-row workhorse – and with consistent points from Inu, breaks from Evalds, and upfront

defence from Welham, the AJ Bell faithful have seen a well-balanced team in full flight.

The DW Stadium will not be this Salford team’s final resting place, due to the new play-off format, but 2019 seems like a one-in-a-million campaign, almost impossible to rectify.

For one, their finances will continue to cause worries for Watson, as he recently revealed that hooker Logan Tomkins will leave in the winter for purely financial reasons. Tomkins will be followed out the door by Hastings and the superb Bibby.

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Perhaps comfortingly, their success hasn’t distracted the top man. When asked about his nomination for Super League coach of the year, the Salfordian Watson was hugely magnanimous, saying: “It’s our team, it’s not my team, it’s the backroom staff’s team and it’s the players’ team – and you don’t get those awards if everyone isn’t pulling in the right direction.”