Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont slams ‘disrespectful’ Salford Red Devils

   15/02/2025

LEIGH LEOPARDS owner Derek Beaumont has slammed ‘disrespectful’ Salford Red Devils following their choice to field effectively 16 reserves players against St Helens tonight.

Saints ran out 82-0 winners against Salford, with only Joe Bullock and Tiaki Chan recognised Super League players amongst the Salford cohort.

That was despite a takeover of the club confirmed last week in the hope that the £1.2 million sustainability cap – that had been imposed on the Red Devils last month – would be lifted in time for Super League Round One.

However, Rowley and Salford were informed an hour before their squad declaration on Thursday, according to the Salford boss, that they would not be able to field different players than the ones that beat Midlands Hurricanes in the Challenge Cup the week before.

Rowley said on BBC Sport: “I couldn’t play the Midlands Hurricanes squad because of injuries. We have got 17 players that featured in that game valued at £1.2 million on the salary cap.

“We weren’t under the impression that the £1.2 million-worth of players had to remain the same £1.2 million so we had picked a squad resting several players such as Kallum Watkins, Marc Sneyd and Tim Lafai.

“We presented two squads to the RFL, one with 15 players that was strong that included Kallum, Tim, Marc etc but we were informed that the governance was rigid regarding we couldn’t play those players because they didn’t play last week.

“It made it physically impossible to turn out a squad. I turned out a 15-man team and presented it to the RFL that we believed would come and win and that was discussed at the RFL. We were informed that it wouldn’t be accepted after team run at 1pm yesterday.

“We were under the impression that we would get a chance to play our main players.”

However, that decision to send in 16 relatively unknown players was slammed by some – including Beaumont who took to social media to announce his displeasure.

Beaumont posted on X: “Complete disrespect from @SalfordDevils to the whole of @SuperLeague its stakeholder and fans it totally impacts the integrity of the comp! What kind of new owners allow a coach to behave in such a way? I feel for those players that put the shirt on and gave their all! They should have told him to put one on himself! Disgraceful! Blaming the @TheRFL is totally wrong they knew what they had to do to pick from full squad and didn’t come up with it and have only themselves to blame! Could have picked team that went to midlands but trying give it the RFL and care not for how they look and the damage to the game! In the words of Neil Diamond money talks! Put it in and pick your team or do one and don’t make a mockery of what we are trying to make a success of! I feel for the Salford fans many of whom are my friends and are furious themselves at being unnecessarily humiliated!”