Jackson Hastings has his say on Marc Sneyd’s Salford return

Yesterday, Salford shocked the world when they re-signed former player Marc Sneyd on a three-year deal from Hull FC.

Sneyd started his career with the then City Reds in 2010 before joining Castleford on a season long loan in 2014 as part of the business which took Rangi Chase to the AJ Bell Stadium. The loan move saw Sneyd catch the attention of the rugby league world as he helped the Tigers finish fourth just one win away from the League Leaders’ Shield.

He also helped guide them to Wembley something he would do with great regularity during his time at Hull winning two Lance Todd trophies as the Black and Whites won back-to-back Challenge Cups. In the mean time Salford rued his departure having let him go after that loan spell at Castleford. Rangi Chase’s arrival did not spark the revolution Marwan Koukash desired and by 2016 Salford were just minutes away from relegation.

They managed to drag themselves to a superb comeback in the Million Pound Game against Hull KR to secure survival in the same year Sneyd enjoyed the heights of winning at Wembley. Things didn’t look like changing for the Red Devils after that either as they faced relegation again in 2018 only for Jackson Hastings to change things at the AJ.

The Australian halfback steered them away from relegation before guiding them to a spectacular campaign in 2019 and to the Grand Final as he claimed the Man of Steel before joining Wigan. His masterful performances combining organisation skills with an effective running game saw him become what Sneyd could have been had Salford opted to keep him all those years ago.

But now Sneyd has been given a second chance with the Red Devils alongside Brodie Croft who himself has been likened to the arrival of Hastings in the first place as he joins after a disappointing spell with Brisbane. The pair could make quite the exciting halfback combination leaving has fans excited for 2022 and beyond.

Sneyd and Croft will have to go someway to emulate Hastings’ amazing stint at Salford but they have the quality and Hastings himself appears to believe so taking to Twitter to praise the signing of Sneyd.

He posted: “Great bit of business done by Salford Red Devils today. Ian Blease, well done mate.”

Great bit of business done by @SalfordDevils today. @Ianblease1 well done my mate! 👏🏼

— Jackson Hastings (@JackoHastings) November 5, 2021

The Tweet prompted some fans to beg him to return once Sneyd’s three years are over.

Why don’t you come back in 3 years when his contract expires and play alongside Brodie and win us Super League mate?

— Salford’s Red Army (@REDARMYSALFORD) November 6, 2021

The return of Sneyd and the appointment of Paul Rowley as Head Coach should certainly give Salford fans cause for optimism. Perhaps 2022 could be the perfect sequel to 2019.