2024 Season Review: Salford Red Devils

Salford Red Devils continued the habit of defying the odds in an impressive season.

The Red Devils’ 2024 campaign might have finished in defeat to Leigh Leopards in the Play-Offs, but that could not cloud a season of significant achievement.

Salford are a club used to having its star players targeted by rival teams, but even by their standards the losses from their 2023 were significant, with key duo Andy Ackers and Brodie Croft joining Leeds and wingers Joe Burgess and Ken Sio also among those departing.

But coach Paul Rowley did what has become his and Salford’s trademark - they found talented and enthusiastic replacements and moulded together a team capable of beating the best in Betfred Super League.

Scrum-half Marc Sneyd epitomised the club’s approach - having lost the two players most integral to his playmaking roll, he simply rolled his sleeves up, developed new combinations and produced arguably the best season of what had already been an excellent career.

SNEYYYYYYDDDD ?

? 5 Try Assists
? 27 points
?% Goal Kicking

Has @SalfordDevils' @SneydMarc been #SuperLeague's best half-back so far in 2024? ? pic.twitter.com/aMhse1sooQ

— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) March 4, 2024

Joe Mellor proved an excellent addition and made the hooking slot his own, Ryan Brierley was typically influential from fullback and few centre partnerships in the competition were as feared by opposition defences as that of Nene Macdonald and Tim Lafai.

In the pack, skipper Kallum Watkins, loose forward Ollie Partington and prop Brad Singleton produced titanic efforts, alongside the likes of Shane Wright, Joe Shorrocks and Sam Stone.

There was also notable contributions from a couple of shrewd mid-season additions in Jayden Nikorima and Loghan Lewis.

In truth, you could go through Salford’s entire squad with mention of their contribution - which is what makes the club and Rowley’s formula so effective.

To finish fourth with what is widely accepted to be a significantly smaller budget than many of their rivals has been rightly hailed as an outstanding achievement.

Among the highlights were beating Warrington home and away and a crucial early September win over Catalans that went a long way to securing the Red Devils’ top six spot.

One of the few disappointments was an uncharacteristic 40-0 defeat at Hull KR in Round Six of the Betfred Challenge Cup, ending hopes of a return to Wembley.

But Salford also beat every side bar League Leaders Wigan, and again played some thrilling rugby at different stages.

“We have fun and we back ourselves,” was how Rowley succinctly put it in the closing stages of the season.

It led Rowley to a third consecutive nomination for the Coach of the Year award, while his side won a club record 11 home Super League games.

Round Four’s away win at St Helens was the first Salford victory there for 44 years, making it a season to remember despite it being ended by the narrow loss to Leigh.

Still thinkin' about that Tim Lafai pass ?

Exquisite play to setup @SalfordDevils' winning try ?#SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/hyq3BmRwDW

— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) March 9, 2024

That game also saw another record though - the attendance of 10,867 was a club high at the Salford Community Stadium.

And the week previously, with Rowley resting most of his stars ahead of the Play-Offs, a noisy travelling support roared on a youthful team including eight debutants as they went down 64-0 at Wigan, offering a glimpse into the side’s future.

Now the Red Devils will hope to build on their progress on and off the field moving into 2025.

Key Man

The former Leeds Rhinos man Kallum Watkins missed just one game all season, topped the Red Devils’ tackle count, made almost 2,000 metres with the ball and chimed in with five tries from the back row.

Rising Star

Australian forward Loghan Lewis has had a major impact in his 10 matches for the club after joining from Canberra Raiders, and at just 21 years of age looks well placed to kick on again in 2025.

Season Highlight

Beating Warrington and St Helens back-to-back in June confirmed the Red Devils’ status as genuine contenders.

Key Stats

Stats from regular Betfred Super League season only

Top try scorer

Deon Cross and Nene Macdonald (12)

Flying start ?

Nene Macdonald has hit the ground running at @SalfordDevils ?#SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/vRgK1yrwxp

— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) May 8, 2024

Top tackler

Kallum Watkins (845)

Most metres

Nene Macdonald (3,632)

Most assists

Marc Sneyd (22)