Sam Stone is quota I think. Maltese but born in Oz. I think Leigh released him to get their quota numbers down when they got promoted. If not quota he's a good solid player

They've had an advance on their Super League money so unlikely to be selling anyone.

They haven’t had an advance on 2025’s money as todays meeting was cancelled and it’s come to light they still haven’t covered the advance they got last year and I hear they are in debt to the RFL to the tune of £500K

Clubs deferred the decision to the RFL and they have granted the request.

Apologies I’ve just been told the RFL confirmed their support at 5pm so looks like they live to fight another season.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/footbal ... d905e&ei=7

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/footbal ... d905e&ei=7

Just gets to me how A club like Salford keep getting pulled out of the mire.
Koukash was their saviour at one-time- did the fans back him- no!
Their crowds, for the relative success they have had are poor.
When he left their finances obviously slumped - not paying rent etc
They have no money but continue to sign players- how's that work?
There are better run and supported clubs in the championship.
In my opinion Salford are not a special case.
The money should have been refused and if they sink they sink.
They sign quality players and have had some success - but is it with borrowed money they are unlikely, it seems, to be able to repay?

I think it's a good decision to front them some of the money, but it's probably the last straw as the RFL won't want to set a precedent. They've done daft deals to bail other clubs out (buying out Bradford's lease the obvious one) and never got that money back, so I don't think they'll help another club like that for a long time.

The condition is more like a self-dug hole for Salford - if the stadium deal doesn't go through, and they don't get that money back through game days and sponsors, then they have a big black hole at the end of the year. The RFL won't lose any money, they just won't give them their rights money through the year like all the other clubs. As a result, Salford will score terribly with IMG, and either be demoted to the Championship or go bust, and one of Toulouse (if they sort out their own troubles), Bradford or York will replace them. And as a neutral, I'm comfortable with all that.

They haven't borrowed the money, they're just getting it earlier. That's why I think it's reasonable.

Unbelievable! Won't the RFL ever learn throwing good money after bad. Surely enough is enough.

As said above.
It's Salford's money. They are just getting it earlier.

Just like when we needed it.

I appreciate that PT, along with all the other loans they've received, somewhere next season they'll run out of money.
Regarding us we know what happens when you need an advance,you end up with a balance sheet team.

https://www.totalrl.com/marwan-koukash- ... alary-cap/

https://www.totalrl.com/marwan-koukash- ... alary-cap/

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... ommunities Fire sale may be incoming with this news!

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... ommunities Fire sale may be incoming with this news!

The easiest thing to do is cut the wage bill. I suppose because they are under contract a transfer will be required unless Salford default on salaries which does not appear to be the situation or the agreement with the RFL gives them the power to do so.

In all honesty I can't think of anyone better than Michael Carter to sort this out. One thing he won't countenance is spending money that isn't there to spend. I know it frustrated Trinity fans to see him prioritising the balance sheet over the playing squad, but doing the opposite leads down the Bradford route...short term success at the expense of long term financial viability.

Good luck to him, and Salford. Hopefully this is the start of all clubs being financially accountable.

He's not there to help them. He's part of an audit team.

Though I agree they could do a lot worse than employ him.

I think if Salford are in special measures any player they sell won’t be subject to quota space? Along with some cap space possibly left…

If so I think Esan Marsters would be an excellent signing for Trinity and can play Centre/wing aswell as adding some real size to the back line a bit like Tupou in stature and build plus only 28 years old with NRL and international experience….

Is there a precedent for that? Surely one team can’t just sign McDonald, Lafai, Marsters, and Nikorima. And what happens after 2025?

But you’re right Scarlet - unless there’s some manic financial mismanagement going on, I don’t think Salford have anything much to cut other than their squad. They’ve probably got the 6th best squad on paper with almost nothing underneath them, as IMG found out. If cuts are coming, they’re coming in the shape of those players mentioned above. It’s all pretty sad, and I hope they can get on their feet soon. Perhaps a year in the Champ is just the tonic.

The RFL tends to only allow quota players to be exempt when their employer goes into administration in order to not prejudice their chances of finding another club, when many teams have filled their quotas.

That's not what is happening here though.
They are not in administration.
The RFL have agreed to an advance but are reviewing their finances to see if everything is above board....and what criteria they need to follow to meet the standard agreed for the advance.
Costs savings don't have to be an overseas player.

In 2000 I think the Pearman era, in one of our early financial problems in super league, didn't we have a similar problem balancing the books? We decided to cut all players over a certain age I think. Salford could end up doing something similar.

At the risk of being accused of splitting hairs, I never said he was there to help them...I said there was nobody better to sort it. Salford may well not see his intervention as helping.

I don’t think that’s the same circumstances.

If memory serves we got put into administration because we had a big shortfall. I think the rumour at the time was that expectation of money didn’t materialise and left us with a big hole.

Players were sold and the wage bill was stripped way back so we could finish the season. With it being part way through season I don’t suppose advancing the following years funds under relegation was possible.

I was merely pointing out how the RFL would deal with quota players and in what circumstances. I never said this was the situation with Salford. I would add the the quota exemption only applies once.

Their biggest financial outlay will be their overseas quota players….