Salford Red Devils head coach Ian Watson has a lot on his plate with Sunday’s Leigh Centurions clash next in his sightline in the race to stay in Super League.
A shock revelation yesterday by Director of Rugby Tim Sheens that Kiwi club captain Harrison Hansen would leave Salford at the end of the season, alongside Cory Paterson, has rocked supporters’ faith in Salford’s ability to compete.
He told the assembled press: “In real terms, the players who are leaving, particularly Harrison and other players like Cory (Paterson) and so on, are all playing well for the club,” he said.”
Catalans Dragons are believed to have strong interest but Red Devils Chief Executive Martin Vickers has officially denied that fan favourite Hansen, 29, is on his way out.
“The reality is both Hansen and Paterson are contracted players for 2016 and we have had no formal offer for either player,” Vickers told BBC Radio Manchester.
A full statement from the player is expected later today. The word is that the player will commit his future to Salford.
Watson is upbeat for the Leigh clash this Sunday at the AJ Bell.
A hard-fought win against Wakefield Wildcats in the first round has put Salford on the front foot.
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News that Gareth Hock will not make the journey down the A580 to Salford will disappoint some fans who wanted to see the once-great in fine form.
But a scheduled Friday surgery will keep him out of action after an injury to his back in the Centurions’ own first-round Middle 8 loss to Hull KR.
Watson has better news.
Apart from knocks to Josh and George Griffin who the medical staff are still assessing, he can pretty much call on a full squad for Sunday’s crucial clash.
“Moz (Adrian Morley) took a knock to the ankle, and is probably about 50/50 at the minute, he told SalfordOnline.com.
“At first, we thought it was as bad as the one he picked up against Hull KR, but knowing Moz, he’ll just try and push through.”
Watson is wary of this weekend’s oponents, and especially their top flight ambitions: “Leigh are a team we are wary of. They deserve to be where they are on merit.
“Do we owe them one? Yes, we probably do, after the [Challenge Cup defeat], and we’ll be trying to even it up.”
“We know the systems they play, and I’ve been under Rowls (Leigh coach, Paul Rowley) for a short time and the way he encouraged us to play with confidence and back yourself. He’s now been there a few years and bred that into the team.”
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Also chatting to the press were Scott Taylor, soon to head to his home town club, Hull FC, and Reni Maitua on loan from Featherstone Rovers for the remainder of the season.
Again, Taylor was under no illusions about the scale of the game on Sunday.
“We need 80 minutes from everyone this week. It’s getting those 2 points every week.”
“It’s now all about making sure Salford are in the Super League next season. We’re taking it week by week, and arguably our toughest two games are the last two against Widnes and Hull KR.”
“You can’t look too far ahead, you just need to pick up the wins and make sure you’re in the top 3 at the end.”
“No excuses, Leigh beat us fair and square in the cup. We’ve been looking at clips from the game and they haven’t really changed much, they’re still free flowing and putting the ball out wide.”
“You can’t keep using the same excuses of injuries and suspensions. With the squad we’ve got, the 17 that take the field is more than capable of getting wins.”
Reni Maitua seems to be settling in at the club after his deadline day move across the Pennines.
He’s sharing a house at the moment with his old friend Roy Asotasi of Warrington, and is open to making his stay in the red shirt permanent.
“It’s been a good transition,” he said.
“I knew a few of the fellas before coming, but the change to full time training has been like a few days of pre-season!”
“I’ve lost 4 to 5 kilos, but I’m not happy with where I’m at, but I feel like I can improve a hell of a lot over the next few weeks.”
“The most pleasing thing for me was getting through a full 80 minutes.”
Asked about going another year, Reni was quick to say that yes, he was going to play again next year, and would like to remain at Salford if the offer came.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity they’ve given me over this next seven weeks. If the club want me, then I’m happy to stay.”
He knows more about Leigh than most, having faced them in the Championship game in Blackpool earlier this season.
“They play a very hard style of football, as I found out when I was in the Featherstone side at Blackpool.
“At times it was like prison rules, but we will do our best come Sunday.”
Main image © SteveMcPix
