Salford Red Devils may have to enter liquidation to survive as a club after their torrid 2025 Super League campaign ends, according to Jon Wilkin.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Rugby League Verdict, Wilkin reacted to the news that Salford had not submitted an application to be considered as the 13th or 14th team in the competition for 2026, a decision that seemingly will relegate the Red Devils.
With their IMG score expected to drop and others below them likely to rise, Salford’s time in Super League looks to be over and with their financial issues still to resolve in the off-season, Wilkin believes the decision wasn’t a surprise and that the Red Devils are a Championship club.
He explained: “I actually don’t think it’s a surprise. I think the business model is deeply flawed. They’re haemorrhaging money that they don’t have.
“The bridging loan that was meant to cover existing debts has not come in. They’ve got a small but very loyal and passionate support base. They are a championship club.”
Wilkin added: “They can’t afford to stay in Super League so they’re going to have to go down, find a genuine investment, potentially go into liquidation just to ease up the pressure of the debts that they’ve accrued under this current regime and then they’re going to have to rebuild from the ground up.
“It’s desperately sad but I’m not surprised at all that they haven’t applied to be in Super League next year. In fact, I think it would be strange with the financial position they’re in if they did.”
Salford Red Devils need a ‘clean slate’ with relegation inevitable
Paul Rowley spoke with the media and explained that questions will be asked once a decision is made but that he is “interested in everything”, in reference to the fact he would be open to coaching a Salford Red Devils side in the Championship.
Speaking on the fact the club will likely be relegated, Wilkin said: “I think dropping out of Super League isn’t palatable for the playing squad and the fans just won’t be happy with it but if it was a crude business decision, it’s just reducing your cost base and reducing the pressure on player salaries on the cash flow position that’s been incredibly bad to the point at which the winding up order at HMRC is just being put off and put off.
“They need to get a clean slate financially and they need to start again and that has to happen in the lower leagues. Unfortunately for Salford fans and the Salford club, that’s what is going to happen but it needs a change of ownership. The guys who’ve come in have done well to actually address the situation apart from promised money that’s never turned up.”
Having already failed to fulfil a previous fixture against Wakefield Trinity, the Red Devils will host them on Friday night in what could be their final Super League game for some time.
For Wilkin, it’s a case of the saga being over but he paid credit to all of the staff, all of whom saw wages delayed at times this year.
He concluded: “It’s been a bit of a stain on 2025 and I’m just wishing everybody, especially the staff at Salford, the skeleton staff who work there, all the very best for the future because it’s been an incredibly tough year for the players, staff and fans of that club.”
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James
September 17, 2025 at 7:42 pm
This was passed on to me because they thought I was still interested in RL. Ans at least I won’t be bothered by people like Wilkin any longer. Bye SRD I shall miss you after 60 plus years but anything even Rugby Union would be better than this.
Anonymous
September 18, 2025 at 4:21 am
Agreed; if Salford are relegated, hopefully we will not have to listen or read about the thoughts of know it all Wilkin. He is about as pointless as the 1873 protest marches, totally pointless.