Salford Red Devils senior figure casts ‘strong doubt’ that club can field team in 2026

Salford Red Devils’ Paul King has admitted that he ‘strongly doubts’ the club can field a team in 2026 unless financial aid drops immediately.

A lack of financial aid has been the story of Salford’s season and it could now spell the end of not only the club’s season but the club as a whole.

Salford will face their HMRC case on October 28th with the Red Devils in debt to the tune of several hundreds of thousand, and it’s unclear what the next steps will be if that money does not land.

HMRC would start taking assets to try and reclaim the owed money and that could spell the end of the club, who have just seen head coach Paul Rowley depart and join St Helens.

Rowley is the latest high profile exit with over a dozen players and the club’s planned 2026 coach Kurt Haggerty also leaving. According to a report from ITV news, just four members of staff remain at the club with Paul King among those.

He left before the takeover happened but made his return to try and help the club, however, the ownership group haven’t provided the financial support that was promised, thus making his job nigh on impossible.

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Speaking to ITV news after confirmation of the club’s relegation from Super League, something that came about after the Red Devils dropped out of the top 12 clubs on IMG gradings, Salford interim CEO King called on ownership to either pay up or leave.

“We’ve been told since February that the money is due to land and as yet, we’re still waiting,” he said.

“These guys need to be clear about where the money is and when it’s coming or go.”

As for what next, he admitted: “If we can’t recruit staff and have players in within the next ten days, I strongly doubt our ability to field a team in 2026.”

Just five senior players are contracted for 2026 or beyond but most of those men have been linked with moves away and any contracts would be voided if HMRC rule to wind the club up.

One of the senior players who left in a bid to help the club prolong their future that bit longer was former captain Ryan Brierley, a boyhood fan, and he admitted to ITV news: “It’s been the worst year of my career by far and it will probably take some getting over.

“Overwhelmingly, it’s sad for the supporters. I don’t think they deserve this. It’s been awful. It’s been mental torture to be honest.

“It was only in February when we had a team that we believed could fight and challenge for some silverware and to have that ripped apart through no fault of your own.

“Ultimately, Salford will never die. Whether it lives on in the Championship or League One, it will never die.”

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