With a tough clash up against the second-place Wigan Warriors today, Salford Head Coach Paul Rowley would have wanted all of his big hitters on the field after their recent struggles.
Already without Tim Lafai and Joe Burgess who have been key to Salford’s attack this season, the Red Devils were struck with another blow before kick-off with Marc Sneyd unavailable and Chris Atkin having to come into the halves alongside Brodie Croft in his place.
Sneyd has been the central hub of Salford’s attack in 2022 and his absence will be keenly felt but it is a chance for new signing Croft to rise to the occasion.
Speaking before the game on Channel 4, coach Rowley explained his halfback’s absence: “He’s got a knock to his knee. If it had been a cup final I suppose he might have played.”
Despite his absence, Salford do have some key players on the field including the prolific Ken Sio who is in the race to be crowned top try scorer again in 2022.
Speaking about the winger ahead of the game, Rowley said: “He’s top in the charts in the try scoring. Ken does what Ken does and I guess we’ll worry about ourselves today.”
He also noted the need for those who have come into the side due to injuries to step up: “Absolutely [we’ll have to trust our squad players] we’ve not got the biggest squad, so Wigan have more luxury in that respect. But we’re here in a great arena and we’re looking forward to it.”