Derek Beaumont hits out at “disgraceful” Salford Red Devils with integrity of Super League ‘impacted’

Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont has accused Salford Red Devils of impacting the integrity of Super League after fielding a weakened side to play St Helens.

Salford are still under a restricted salary cap of £1.2 million despite the club announcing that they had been taken over, meaning the Red Devils can only play a certain number of their stars.

When they named their squad to face Midlands Hurricanes in the Challenge Cup, they effectively committed those players as being registered for the season meaning those who were omitted including Marc Sneyd, Kallum Watkins and Tim Lafai were not put on the club’s cap.

Salford Red Devils boss told the BBC that it had not been communicated to the club or understood as he explained that he tried to submit a 15-man squad featuring his star players to face St Helens.

“Rigid’ RFL rules meant that he could not register those players which led him and the club to opt to play a team full of reserve and academy players, in an act that Jon Wilkin described as “throwing the teddies out”.

Salford, who only named 16 players to their matchday squad, were then beaten 82-0 by St Helens with that margin of victory breaking the Super League record.

Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont has now accused Saford of ruining the integrity of Super League with the Red Devils’ actions questioned.

Derek Beaumont hits out at “disgraceful” Salford Red Devils with integrity of Super League ‘impacted’

Posting on X shortly after Salford Red Devils lost to St Helens, Leigh’s owner has not held back in his condemnation of Paul Rowley’s side.

He said: “Complete disrespect from @SalfordDevils to the whole of @SuperLeague, it’s stakeholder’s and fans, it totally impacts the integrity of the comp!

“What kind of new owners allow a coach to behave in such a way? I feel for those players that put the shirt on and gave their all! They should have told him to put one on himself! Disgraceful!

“Blaming the @TheRFL is totally wrong they knew what they had to do to pick from full squad and didn’t come up with it and have only themselves to blame!

“Could have picked team that went to midlands but trying give it the RFL and care not for how they look and the damage to the game!

“In the words of Neil Diamond money talks! Put it in and pick your team or do one and don’t make a mockery of what we are trying to make a success of!

“I feel for the Salford fans many of whom are my friends and are furious themselves at being unnecessarily humiliated!”

Salford host Leeds Rhinos on Saturday with the Red Devils hopeful that their cap issues will be resolved by then, however, the RFL must confirm their takeover before that happens.

Complete disrespect from @SalfordDevils to the whole of @SuperLeague it’s stakeholder’s and fans it totally impacts the integrity of the comp! What kind of new owners allow a coach to behave in such a way? I feel for those players that put the shirt on and gave their all! They…

— Derek John Beaumont (@derek_beaumont) February 15, 2025