Paul Rowley addresses Salford Red Devils’ impending HMRC deadline as Hull FC loss assessed

Salford Red Devils have a HMRC deadline looming and head coach Paul Rowley, speaking after defeat to Hull FC, has explained that he wasn’t aware of it.

Hull FC kept up their strong away form as they won 38-6 against the Red Devils with Salford making a real fist of the game in the first half before fading away in the second forty.

That was something that head coach Rowley noted as he spoke post-match to Sky Sports but the most interesting answer he offered was in regard to the looming HMRC deadline on Thursday.

Salford are heavily in debt and a deadline for repayment has been set for this week, however, when asked how that had affected the mood in camp, he claimed no knowledge of the deadline.

“I mean, I didn’t even know that to be honest, but we stay consistent,” he responded to commentator Dave Woods, adding: “We try not to look too hard at that.”

He expanded, stating: “If they do (have a HMRC hearing), then it certainly doesn’t get spoken in our team room because I’ll shut that sound noise down.

“We’ve got to just try and remain consistent and do our bit, and what will be, will be.”

Salford Red Devils boss rues missed chances against Hull FC

Those comments came after he had assessed the game, expressing disappointment at how Hull FC managed to outmuscle his side particularly in the second half.

Asked if he was proud of his side after another performance full of character, Rowley said: “Yeah, I think I’m more disappointed than anything because we put ourselves in the position (to win).

“I just heard the back end of John (Cartwright’s interview) and I think he’s quite right. I mean, we dominated territory, possession, all the little things, really.”

On that dominance, he said: “It was all down to effort and character, really, in that first half, I think if we’d have had some more cutting edge then we should have been several points up but the size and physicality, we couldn’t maintain it and Hull dominated the second half.

“They did have the personnel to ace more opportunities than we did, so I’m just disappointed, really, that the score blew out like that and that we didn’t make more of a fist of it.”

There was some consistency in Salford’s squad in that the backs were unchanged but the club’s four new loanees all made debuts and their performances were also assessed by the head coach.

“I thought they all did OK,” he admitted, adding: “They fitted in well. We’ve not had a lot of practice on the field with them players on board, and most of them did more than one position out there as well.

“I think the character of all the guys that have come in has been brilliant and their effort and desire to get involved and roll their sleeves up has been fantastic. I can never complain about that from anybody in this club, and so they’ve joined in and shown exactly the same attitude.”

Hull FC take the points in Round 15.

🤝 @petesplumbers & @hselec_ pic.twitter.com/df197YqGJT

— Salford Red Devils 👹 (@SalfordDevils) June 22, 2025