Matt Newsum, BBC Rugby League correspondent
Salford’s takeover offers the club a chance to progress forward with meaningful investment and build on the remarkable work done in recent years against a backdrop of financial uncertainty and thriftiness.
The genuine fears of the club being unable to meet its commitments and the sale of key players has now been avoided, debt has been completely wiped out and investment promised.
What should not be forgotten is the work of people like chief executive Paul King to run such a tight ship during Covid and the subsequent financial climate that followed.
Salford have been to a Grand Final, Challenge Cup final and finished in the top four last season – a stunning achievement given their then-modest resources.
Paul Rowley, one of Super League’s most talented and creative coaches, has consistently put together a squad that has been hugely competitive on a relative shoestring compared to some of their rivals in terms of salary cap spend.
That prudent recruitment has generated a special atmosphere, a camaraderie, and a tightness within the squad particularly during the difficult unknown territory that surrounded this season’s preparations.
With financial muscle available, Salford should be able to compete more strongly on that basis in future; the challenge with that will be keeping some of the chemistry, identity and make-up which has made the Red Devils such a close-knit and competitive force on the field.
