Paul Rowley’s Salford Red Devils emotion ahead of final fixture amid club’s uncertain future

Salford Red Devils’ final Super League fixture could take place on Friday against Wakefield Trinity, and with their future up in the air, it is sure to be an emotional night.

Having been in the top division in all bar three seasons of the summer era, a club that is full of history could cease to exist next month, should the bridging loan fail to be come through before October 29.

Head coach Paul Rowley, who’s own future is also up in the air, was today asked in his pre-match press conference just how emotional it will be at the Salford Community Stadium on Friday, with the club preparing to face what could be their final ever fixture, let alone their last in Super League.

Expecting to shed a few tears after the final whistle, he said: “I think it will be a strange night in many aspects. With it being a Friday night fixture, you tidy up, you do your bits, your after and then you kind of just go home and then nobody knows what’s next.

“There’s kind of a there is ‘no tomorrow’ attitude so to speak. It’s going to be very, very strange but this job, this sport, this profession, I guess is very much like that, and that’s probably the hard bit of sport.”

He added:  “Quite often, you get best friends and I think… sport and the dressing room certainly increases and magnifies friendships. What might take 20 years to foster can be done in 12 months within the dressing room.

“In sport you get friends and lose friends very often. It’s going to be a sad end to the evening on Friday, but we’ll enjoy every minute until that comes.”

The Red Devils have used 72 players across the season, with many appearing for just one or two matches. Regardless, of the contribution they made, Rowley thanks them wholeheartedly for their efforts.

“I think every [player’s] a credit to the club, even the players that have left,” he said. “Nobody wanted to leave, everybody stayed for a period of time that you wouldn’t have blamed anyone for leaving earlier. So I think every single person who’s with us now, who’s left already, whether that be staff, player, administrators, whatever it is, the back office people who have left there as well, every single one will be really sadly missed. But [they’ll be] really well respected within the circle of people that’s shared this experience.

“It will be one that we look back on and we’ll remember it. I’m not sure we’ll remember it fondly, but we’ll remember it and we’ll have a smile on our face and we shared an experience.

“Like I said, when you learn about yourself and other, what I’ve learned is that there’s some wonderful people in this sport and they all seem to have walked through the door at Salford this year.

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Salford Red Devils boss “relieved” going into final Super League fixture

Of course, Salford have had many times this season where they had no idea whether they would make it this far. To be able to end the year has been an achievement in itself, and the Red Devils boss is so proud and so grateful for the efforts, not just the players have made, but the staff too.

Asked how he feels as he approaches the final game of the campaign, he said: “I’m relieved if I’m being honest. I’m relieved and I’m pretty proud that I managed to get the team to the finish line and that’s a bit sad really, but because you should never want the finish line to come in rugby league. But for us, just getting there, I think, felt a huge responsibility for the supporters and for the game in itself to make sure we’re there and we’re competing and playing. I think everybody at the club, certainly the staff have just been immense. 

“I think everybody’s really, really weary now, so we’ll bounce into Friday, we’ll have some energy, and then we’ll probably all just collapse in a heap after that and enjoy a bit of quality time, first of all, together, and have a little probably have a little bit of a reminisce, a little bit of a cry, maybe, and then and then we’ll, you know, we’ll do what we’re doing.”