Salford Red Devils lost three further players this week, as Joe Shorrocks departed on loan to join Leeds Rhinos, before Ethan Ryan and Matty Foster were latest to exit, hours before their clash with Leigh Leopards on Friday night.
Duo Ryan and Foster have signed for Championship side Oldham, linking up with former teammates Ryan Brierley and Jack Ormondroyd in Sean Long’s playoff chasing squad. They become the sixteenth and seventeenth players to depart over the course of the season.
However, a move to the Championship brings new hope to the pair, as they look to help bring Oldham back to Super League for the first time since 1997.
With a squad packed full of talent, the signings bolster what is already a formidable squad for a second division team.
Ryan and Foster have spoken out for the first time since their move, and have expressed their support for the current staff at the club, in the hope it will all work out as soon as possible.
Speaking to RoughyedsTV, Foster was asked to describe how difficult the situation has been: “It’s been really hard. There’s a lot of great people there at that club and I’ve got a lot of close friends there after being there for a year or two now. But, I really hope it does get sorted out because there’s people there that deserve better than what they are getting.”
Ryan then added that whilst he excited to make the move, he wished the circumstances would have been a lot better: “The circumstances around it aren’t the best with everything that’s going on. I think it’s got to that point for a lot of people where everyone’s hoping it will sort itself out. We’ve been on a long journey since the start of the season so I think it’s got to a certain point for a few people.”
Former Salford Red Devils duo excited for Championship playoff run-in
Oldham currently sit fourth in the Betfred Championship, and are one of the teams eyeing a place in the expanded Super League for 2026.
With four rounds left, remaining fixtures include away trips to Featherstone Rovers and London Broncos, with a home tie against Doncaster sandwiched in between.
“The back end of the season is big for Oldham,” said Ryan. They are right in that playoff spot and looking to push towards that Grand Final in the Champ. Hopefully I can support the team and give what I can to help push for that.”
Foster added: “It’s already a star-studded team, so adding to it really helps for this last playoff push and that Super League dream that this club has got… I try base my game on those one percenters that people talk about. I sometimes get called quite raw but that’s just me trying hard and just try to get my body where it needs to be.”
