Derek Beaumont releases statement in support of Nigel Wood and current RFL board over Salford Red Devils handling

Leigh Leopards owner, Derek Beaumont, has defended the RFL and Nigel Wood for their handling on the situation at Salford Red Devils, believing that the problems given to them were inherited to them from the previous board.

The Red Devils have reached breaking point this week, after being forced to withdraw from their fixture with Wakefield Trinity on Sunday afternoon due to player safety concerns.

This has caused supporters to question the responsibility of the RFL with questions asked about a lack of intervention prior to this fixture cancellation.

After a statement was put out on the governing body’s social media, Beaumont took to X, formerly Twitter, to make his feelings clear and defend Nigel Wood, chair of Rugby League Commercial, and the RFL around the situation.

The Leopards owner believes that the previous chair of the RFL, Frank Slevin, and his team are to blame due to their mismanagement of the Salford club when they were placed in special measures in 2024.

He said: “To criticise the current board and yet again Nigel Wood is inappropriate. He and his newly formed board are working excessively to deal with what was inherited whilst reviewing and implementing on the go. Judge them on what they deliver and are accountable for.”

Leigh Leopards “financially compromised” due to Salford Red Devils withdrawal

The Leopards are set to face Salford at Leigh Sports Village next week, however should that game not go ahead, Beaumont says that his club will miss out on key revenue from the game.

“As an owner due to play them next at home, when other clubs have played them twice at home already, our club is financially compromised,”  he said.

The 54-year-old claims to have raised concerns of this in November last year, and will keep that investigation private until an outcome is made.

“I will reserve that position until such time as the full outcome is known and continue to support Nigel and the new board of the RFL whilst they navigate this situation.

“They are left to pick up the pieces and we should be respectful to that process and that the clubs identified issues with how the game was being run and took action. It’s not a time for I told you so but for solving the issue effectively and promptly which I am confident will be the case.”

Some of the comments on here. The decisions were taken by the previous board and chair of the RFL along with the then chair and board of RLC which contained the same person that was also the chair of the special measures committee that salford were under in 2024. It was that… https://t.co/ak0Opr9vYw

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