With continuing financial problems in Salford Red Devils, the club’s captain Ryan Brierley was a guest at the Bench podcast to open up how the situation affected players.
Brierley discussed what influenced the problems of paying on players, worsening of the available team, and expressed his opinion on the restriction of sustainability.
Last month, Salford confirmed that players and employees were not paid In time for the second month in a row, and it seemed to have come to patience with its new owners, Betfred Super League Club issued a statement that “As many will know, our paycheck was not delivered this morning as planned, despite assurances.”
For most of the season, Salford worked for salary limits due to their financial situation, limiting the number of players they could choose for their team in the match, and saw the main players like former Captain Kallum Watkins.
Sky Sports News He joined Salford Red Devils and RFL to comment.
How did the situation affect players?
“Well, I think it was suffering. It was quite suffering.
“It wasn’t great, no, far away.
“I think the remuneration situation was not great. But I think that in the last three or four years Paul (Rowley – head coach) put together a platoon where we can compete and invite for trophies, especially top six and big games.
“But when you see it to be torn, your team, Kallum Watkins, Marc Sney, Tim Lafai, people like that.
“And not only as players, but as people, as friends, hurts.
“When we see your best friends to tear and see their mental health worse right in front of your eyes, it’s terrible.
“And because you’re approaching their families and friends and children and all girls and wives, it’s just not a great situation.
“When their mental health deteriorates, especially someone like Kallum Watkins, who should have a statue outside our stadium for what he did for us.
“And see him to leave and have the conversation with him, one on one and know what he went through.
“He was just talking about memories, what we had and why he had to leave. He wasn’t in a good place, Kallum. And what I say from my point of view, I fully supported and supported his attitude from the first day.
“You couldn’t ask for a better leader of people. And I’m so glad to get into a team that can question trophies because they don’t deserve anything less.
“And it’s something I can be really proud of. I can say that I played with Kallum Watkins. And I probably can’t express my words to do any justice that I don’t think I could find them.
“So I think the biggest compliment is that I can say that I played with Kallum, because what man and what man is.
“I think I’m returning to the point in Toronto, he was just a person who said to a large extent,” I’m a skint, I don’t pay “.
“While it is like, we will rip your soul first and we still don’t have to pay you and God knows what will happen at the end.
“So it’s like death a thousand cuts, right? We really don’t know what is at the end. We don’t really know.”
Why do you want to stay in Salford?
“I think from my position is that I always wanted to stay strong with this club because of the association I have with it because my family supports this club. I had it about it, I certainly think. But I care more about your family thing.
“Emotionally, no, because I am such a tightness to this club. I said before because the club’s captain was supposed to be the best day of my life and eventually it was one of the worst because you see how Callum Watkins is leaving.
“I think it’s probably the hardest moment of my career.
“But I stick to the fact that 1 % of the club is better for and going. It’s hard.
“I suppose there is a chance of many people to leave, and for any reason they did not. And there was also blocking from the club where they couldn’t even go.
“So I’m probably left in a position where I probably didn’t have a choice, because the club blocked it anyway.
“There were many approaches for many players in December and November. And at that time Paul King was also in charge of the players and refused a lot of transfer fees and questions.
“In the end, I have been concluded in this club for the next 18 months.
“I think when there were questions around me, I remember telling Paul King, I said,” Listen, if it benefits the club, do it because I don’t want this club to fail, I don’t want the club to go down and I was a problem “.
“I couldn’t forgive it for it. But he told me we didn’t have to sell you. And I was glad that is okay with me.
“I’ll just do my job until she tells me otherwise.”
Did the club spend too much money?
“I think just like the guilt is worthy of other people and other things, I think we’re in the end. We made mistakes, the club made mistakes. And whether it would be the last four or five years, we spent too much.
“We shouldn’t have done it. And I could like to come out and blame everyone else, but we can’t.
“I remember when Brodie Croft signed a seven -year contract. And I think the conversation was, if we sign Brodie Croft, can we still play on the maximum cap? Can we still afford our team?
“It is a bit different in the rugby league, because I think in football, when you sign similar players for seven years, such as Erling Haaland, 10 years. They know they have an asset they can sell.
“In Rugby League, this usually doesn’t happen, there are not many transfer fees in the rugby league.
“We were quite lucky to have paid Leeds for Brodie and Andy Ackers, because what would happen if not? We still had Brodie Croft on a multi -year contract for more years. So where would we be then?
“We were irresponsible and far from being ideal. But I think at the moment are the only people who are punished, players, which I don’t like. And staff.”
What is your opinion on the restraint of sustainability?
“From what I know and what I think is a restriction on sustainability a problem at both ends.
“I really don’t understand it, because I don’t really understand it. Because for example, my understanding is, for example, Kallum Watkins per 100 big a year and not McDonald’s for 100 big a year. Kallum Watkins is now gone, left the club.
“So, naturally, you should be able to bring Nen McDonald, because it is on the same wage, isn’t it?
“It is still 100, you can’t replace them directly. So every month what is going to, the cap will squeeze even more tightly.
“And so it will strangle it even more. I really do not understand the element, because at the end of the day it is just players who will punish because you have players who should not play there. Chris Hill played the last two weeks with a torn calf, eight weeks.
“I would almost say that the caps, I understand the principle of getting rid of your players, but also to selling your players, but in fact it doesn’t work, because on the other hand, from the player’s point of view.
“Let’s say it is not, again, as I said before, it is not a hundred year and RFL goes to Chris Hill and go, listen, you have to get rid of not McDonald and sell it. So go, okay, sell it to Wigan.
“It’s not going, well, no, I don’t do 50 big rewards for no reason. I’m still getting paid. Still the same player.
“But why should I make salaries for something I didn’t do wrong?
“I understand it, I understand what they are trying to do. I just don’t think he’s doing it.”
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