2025 Salford Red Devils season
English rugby league team season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2025 season was the Salford Red Devils' sixteenth consecutive season playing in England's top division of rugby league. They competed in the 2025 Super League season and the 2025 Challenge Cup. This was Salford's last season before the club was wound up by the High Court of Justice and entered liquidation over unpaid debts on 3 December 2025.
| Salford Red Devils 2025 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Super League season Rank | 12th | |||
| Play-off result | Did not qualify | |||
| Challenge Cup | Quarter-finals | |||
| 2025 record | Wins: 5; draws: 0; losses: 25 | |||
| Points scored | For: 234; against: 1129 | |||
| Team information | ||||
| CEO | Paul King (until 7 February) Chris Irwin (7 February-6 May) Paul King (from 12 May) | |||
| Head Coach | Paul Rowley | |||
| Captain |
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| Stadium | Salford Community Stadium | |||
| Avg. attendance | 4,235[1] | |||
| High attendance | 5,798 Leeds Rhinos, 22 February | |||
| Low attendance | 2,051 Castleford Tigers, 13 July | |||
| Top scorers | ||||
| Tries | Justin Sangaré (4) | |||
| Goals | Rowan Milnes (12) | |||
| Points | Chris Hankinson (28)[2] | |||
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Financial difficulties
Club takeover
Salford's 2025 season was marred by financial difficulties relating to a lack of revenue from Salford City Council following their takeover of the Salford Community Stadium. In November 2024, Salford CEO Paul King asked the owners of the other eleven Super League clubs to approve a £500,000 advancement of central funding, covering staff and player wages as well as club revenues, in order to prevent the club's insolvency by the end of the year.[3][4] The funding advancement was agreed by both the clubs and the RFL's marketing branch RL Commercial later in the month.[5]
As a consequence of the funding advancement, the RFL appointed financial regulators, including former Wakefield Trinity owner Michael Carter, to oversee Salford's finances. In December 2024, a sustainability cap was imposed on Salford, requiring around £700,000, or up to 40% of the club's expenses, to be cut, necessitating plans being prepared for the sale of players.[6]
On 7 February 2025, a week prior to the commencement of the 2025 Super League season, Salford announced that subject to final approval by the RFL, the club had been taken over by Dario Berta, the Swiss CEO of investment bank Matanel, with the sale claimed to clear over £1.5 million in debts owed to Salford City Council. Club CEO Paul King was replaced by former Salford and Exeter City F.C. chief commercial officer Chris Irwin.[7]
Nonpayment of players
In their Round 1 Super League fixture against St Helens on 14 February, as a result of sustainability cap restrictions and delays in the final approval of the club's takeover, Salford controversially fielded a squad of only 16 players, with only three senior squad members - Joe Bullock, Tiaki Chan and Ben Hellewell - present as substitutes, the remainder filled with Salford's reserves. The match, which aired on BBC Two as the BBC's first live broadcast pick of the 2025 season, ended 82-0, the highest Super League winning margin since Salford were beaten 92-12 by the Bradford Bulls in the 2000 season.[8][9] A compliance investigation into Salford's squad selection was launched by the RFL on the Monday following the game.[10]
Following Salford's Round 3 fixture against Hull Kingston Rovers on 27 February, it was revealed that Salford's players had not been paid on time throughout February,[11] causing the players to announce intentions to refuse to attend training until their wages were paid,[12] with some additionally threatening to refuse to play their Round 4 fixture against the Castleford Tigers on 7 March before later coming to an agreement with the club.[13] After it had been lifted following the approval of Dario Berta's takeover, Salford's £1.2 million sustainability cap was reimposed due to the nonpayment of wages,[14] and as a result, players Marc Sneyd and Brad Singleton left the club for the Warrington Wolves and the Castleford Tigers respectively,[15][16] with Tim Lafai additionally being released to return home to his family in Australia.[17]
The club's players were not paid on time again in March amid an injury crisis that took the first team squad selection to 15 players.[18] Club captain Kallum Watkins and Chris Atkin, who left the club for Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers respectively later that month,[19][20] were reported to have refused to play their Round 6 fixture against Wigan Warriors as a result, each being threatened with a £2,000 fine and the withholding of their player registration by the RFL.[21] CEO Chris Irwin admitted in April that the club's debts to Salford City Council were not cleared by the sale to Dario Berta in February and also stated that an ownership consortium running the club, consisting of Saia Kalahi and Kurt Graver, "are not rugby league people", instead suggesting that they are more interested in developing the land surrounding the Salford Community Stadium and granting the Red Devils 20% ownership of the stadium.[22] Irwin later resigned as CEO on 6 May after less than three months in the position,[23] with Paul King returning to the club in an "advisory position", having paid players' wages despite not being a member of Salford's staff and put up his house as collateral against the club's debts.[24]
Winding-up petition
On 14 May 2025, His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) filed a winding-up petition against Salford City Reds (2013) Limited, the operating company for Salford Red Devils, after it was revealed the club owed HMRC £500,000 in debts.[25] A day later, a bid by Salford to buy the Salford Community Stadium outright through Jacobson Management fell through when Salford City Council pulled out of negotiations with the company.[26] For a third time, Salford's players were not paid on time throughout May, however players received their pay only a day late from an outside company and not the club's accounts.[27] Sam Stone departed the club on loan to Warrington Wolves for the rest of the season on 17 June after having been accused by coach Paul Rowley of "downing tools" by making himself unavailable for squad selection in the prior Round 14 fixture against St Helens.[28]
After having announced that a bridging loan was to arrive to help pay both HMRC debts and players and staff wages, on 25 June, the winding-up petition against Salford City Reds (2013) Limited was adjourned until 3 September.[29] Between that period, however, following the threat of a players' strike in the Round 19 fixture against the Leeds Rhinos,[30] the situation escalated significantly after it was confirmed in August 2025 that Salford had not been paying its players' pensions,[31] with only two months' worth of pensions paid to players over the course of 2025; with non-playing staff also not being paid through July, this was followed with the exits of club captain Ryan Brierley, top goal scorer Chris Hankinson, Chris Hill and Jack Ormondroyd from the club days prior to Salford's Round 21 fixture against Hull F.C. on 10 August.[32]
The squad for the Hull F.C. fixture eventually included ten players on loan, two of which came from Leeds Rhinos on a week's loan, after regulations against loans were relaxed by special dispensation of the RFL,[33] as well as Leigh Leopards' Brad Dwyer, whose late addition after the submission of the initial squad saw Salford docked one interchange for the match.[34] Salford ultimately lost this match 80-6, with a consolation try and conversion provided by loanees Brad Dwyer and Riley Lumb respectively, as well as fan protests early in the match, being applauded by both sets of fans at the MKM Stadium.[35]
Following a near-lack of communication throughout the season since the takeover, Dario Berta's ownership consortium released a statement on 11 August declaring that "Salford Red Devils will not close", stating that the club was dealing with £3 million of inherited debt, that an external backer's "essential £1.8m investment" failed to materialise in November 2024, and that the bridging loan would be delivered to the club by the end of August.[36][37] A supporter's group, 'The 1873', set up to demand "urgent answers" from a "silent and neglectful" ownership,[38] labelled the statement "nothing more than a wall of excuses, finger-pointing and deliberate falsehoods" in response a day later, and has planned protest action at the Round 22 home fixture against Wakefield Trinity.[39][32] During August, Charlie Glover departed from the club for semi-professional rugby union team Preston Grasshoppers R.F.C.,[40] while Tom Whitehead was recalled from his rolling monthly loan by Warrington and signed on loan to Oldham R.L.F.C. for the remainder of the club's 2025 RFL Championship campaign.[41]
Match cancellation
Salford's chief operating officer Claire Bradbury, who had been appointed to the role in October 2024, resigned from the position and the club on 14 August; in a post on her LinkedIn profile, she accused the club's ownership[vague] of suggesting she "sleep with an individual at the RFL to 'smooth things over'".[42] Players and staff were not paid again on time during July, and doubts were made for the fulfilment of the Round 22 Wakefield Trinity fixture as other clubs recalled their loaned players and were not willing to make further loans to Salford.[43] Ultimately, the fixture was cancelled on 15 August following discussion with the RFL on the grounds of "significant welfare concerns",[44] with Wakefield awarded a 48-0 forfeit victory on 20 August by the RFL.[45] The Round 23 fixture against the Leigh Leopards went ahead on 22 August following the loans of Leon Ruan and Louix Gorman from Hull Kingston Rovers, Jack Darbyshire from Leigh Leopards and Neil Tchamambe from Wakefield Trinity to the club,[46] resulting in a 6-38 loss to Leigh.
Despite scoring a shock 25-12 win away at Warrington Wolves in Round 24 on 29 August,[47] on 1 September, Salford's assistant coach Kurt Haggerty, who was to be appointed as head coach to replace Paul Rowley from 2026, left the club by mutual consent.[48] On 3 September, the winding-up petition against the club was adjourned for a second time to 29 October, falling over a month after the conclusion of Salford's Super League season.[49][50]
Post-season
Salford ended their 2025 season in 12th place following a defeat to Wakefield Trinity, a match which saw numerous protests by both sets of supporters as well as two pitch invasions late in the match by Salford fans.[51] On 22 September, Salford were hit with a points deduction and a £5,000 fine by the RFL, half of which was suspended until 2029, for breaching "a number of operational rules" for their sixteen-player team selection in the Round 1 fixture against St Helens. As a result, Salford finished the season with a total of four league points instead of six.[52]
When applications for IMG Grading for inclusion in the 14-team 2026 Super League season were announced by the RFL on 16 September, Salford were not among the nine clubs that applied for Super League status.[53] Salford's relegation was confirmed by the promotion of Bradford Bulls to the Super League on 16 October, bringing an end to Salford's 17-year stay in the Super League.[54]
Liquidation
On 3 December 2025, after two more hearings were consecutively adjourned to allow opportunities for the club to pay back it's debts,[55][56] Salford City Reds (2013) Limited was wound up by the High Court during a one-minute hearing over the unpaid debt to HMRC.[57][58] The club's playing licence was revoked by the RFL following the ruling, meaning the club were not able to play in the 2026 RFL Championship,[59] however a phoenix club named Salford RLFC, a consortium led by former player Mason Caton-Brown, was approved to take Salford Red Devils' place in the Championship on 22 December.[60]
Preseason friendlies
Super League
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Hull Kingston Rovers (L, C) |
27 | 22 | 0 | 5 | 786 | 292 | +494 | 44 | Advance to Semi-finals |
| 2 |  Wigan Warriors |
27 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 794 | 333 | +461 | 42 | |
| 3 |  Leigh Leopards |
27 | 19 | 1 | 7 | 619 | 452 | +167 | 39 | Advance to Eliminators |
| 4 |  Leeds Rhinos |
27 | 18 | 0 | 9 | 610 | 310 | +300 | 36 | |
| 5 |  St Helens |
27 | 17 | 0 | 10 | 677 | 314 | +363 | 34 | |
| 6 |  Wakefield Trinity[e] |
27 | 15 | 0 | 12 | 688 | 458 | +230 | 30 | |
| 7 |  Hull FC |
27 | 13 | 1 | 13 | 539 | 461 | +78 | 27 | |
| 8 |  Warrington Wolves |
27 | 10 | 0 | 17 | 480 | 641 | −161 | 20 | |
| 9 |  Catalans Dragons |
27 | 10 | 0 | 17 | 425 | 652 | −227 | 20 | |
| 10 |  Huddersfield Giants |
27 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 347 | 738 | −391 | 14 | |
| 11 |  Castleford Tigers |
27 | 6 | 0 | 21 | 396 | 815 | −419 | 12 | |
| 12 |  Salford Red Devils[e] (R) |
27 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 234 | 1129 | −895 | 4[f] | Relegated to Championship |
- Morgan Knowles' testimonial match.
- Attendance recorded across three fixtures.
Challenge Cup
On 25 June 2024, the RFL announced a change to the Challenge Cup format, totalling 7 rounds compared to the previous 9, with Super League teams entering to play away from home at round 3.[87]
Salford were first drawn to play the Midlands Hurricanes away in Round 3, following Midlands' 46-0 victory over Siddal A.R.L.F.C. on 26 January.[88] Following their victory against Midlands, Salford were drawn on 15 February to play the Bradford Bulls at home on 14 March,[89] and after a 26-16 victory over Bradford, Salford entered the quarter-finals and were drawn to play the Catalans Dragons at the Stade Gilbert Brutus.[90] Salford were ultimately knocked out of the 2025 Challenge Cup by Catalans during the quarter-final fixture.[91]
| Date and time | Round | Versus | H/A | Venue | Result | Score | Tries | Goals | Attendance | TV | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 February; 19:30 | Round 3 |  Midlands Hurricanes |
A | Alexander Stadium | W | 46–10 | Macdonald (2), Nikorima (2), Cross (2), Hankinson, Marsters | Hankinson (7/9) | 831 | Not televised | [92] |
| 14 March; 20:00 | Round 4 |  Bradford Bulls |
H | Salford Community Stadium | W | 26–16 | Marsters, Brierley, Nikorima, Ryan | Morgan (3/4 + 2 pen.) | 3,066 | Not televised | [93] |
| 4 April; 19:00 (GMT) | Quarter-finals | Catalans Dragons |
A | Stade Gilbert Brutus | L | 12–20 | Shorrocks, Foster | Hankinson | Not televised | [91] |
Transfers
Gains
| Player | Club | Contract | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
 Esan Marsters |
Huddersfield Giants |
3 Years | May 2024[94] |
 Sam Davis |
 London Broncos |
2 Years | October 2024[95] |
| Chris Hill |
Huddersfield Giants |
1 Year | October 2024[96] |
| Joe Bullock |
Warrington Wolves |
2 Years | October 2024[97] |
 Justin Sangaré |
Leeds Rhinos |
2 Years | November 2024[98] |
| Declan Murphy |
Saracens F.C. | End of season | July 2025[99] |
| Jack Walker |
 Sheffield Eagles |
End of season | August 2025[100] |
| Isaac Shaw |
Wakefield Trinity |
End of season | August 2025[101] |
Loans in
Losses
Loans out
| Player | Club | Loan period | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie Pye |
 Barrow Raiders |
Season-long | January 2025[131] |
| Nene MacDonald |
 Oldham R.L.F.C. |
Three weeks | April 2025[132] |
| Ethan Fitzgerald |
 Swinton Lions |
Five weeks | May 2025[133] |
 Sam Stone |
Warrington Wolves |
End of season | June 2025[28] |
| Joe Bullock |
Barrow Raiders |
Two weeks[e] | June 2025[135] |
| Joe Shorrocks |
Leeds Rhinos |
End of season | August 2025[136] |
 Shane Wright |
St Helens |
End of season | August 2025[137] |
Squad
| First team squad | Coaching staff | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Head coach Assistant coach
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Notes
- Recalled by Warrington in August 2025 to play for Oldham R.L.F.C.[41]