JUSTIN SANGARE has admitted that he thought he would never get to the end of the 2025 Super League season with Salford Red Devils.
Sangare was in his first season as a Red Devil after joining from Leeds Rhinos, and the Mali-born prop went on to play 24 times for the beleaguered club.
However, the uncertainty surrounding the club and whether they would exist from one week to the next undoubtedly had an effect on all players, staff and coaches.
For Sangare, who has now signed a deal with York Knights for their first-ever season in the top flight, he has taken stock of his experience at Salford.
“It’s been good to get back to rugby with what happened last year and everything,” Sangare told League Express.
“It was tough. If I had to rate how difficult, it was a 9/10 hard. You turn up every week and you don’t know if the club is going to survive.
“Taking a step back from the year, I take it as a blessing because I’ve been through this process and it’s made me grow and be a better man and rugby player.
“I never thought I would make it to the end of the season, it’s been the toughest part of my career so far.
“There were good lessons I learnt from it.”
Sangare had nothing but kind words to say about head coach Paul Rowley, who led the club through unchartered territory to the end of the season.
“Paul Rowley created a bubble at the start to try and protect all the players. For him, he had all the pressure on his shoulders.
“He would turn up to training every week and try and get focused on the rugby rather than what was happening off the field.
“He protected the players well. Everyone had a different point of view and Paul tried to bring the same perspective for everyone.
“We went through it all together, even the players who left. I am happy for Salford now.
“They have got a good fanbase, the people are very friendly so I am happy they have got everything sorted.”
So why did Sangare choose York?
“I chose York because I had a good discussion with Clint (Goodchild) and Mark (Applegarth),” Sangare told League Express.
“They gave me a clear plan and I wanted to be part of the history of York.
“It’s a blessing for me to play in this team for their first season in Super League.
“This is a chance for me to show what I am capable of.
“York have just come up and we just need to build in every game. I’ve been through this with Toulouse.
“We had a lot of lessons that year and it might be the same. We can spring a few surprises on a few teams.”