SALFORD chief executive Ryan Brierley issued an open communication to fans explaining the scheduling of their home Challenge Cup third-round tie against Hull FC.
It takes place on Friday (8pm), but Brierley said the club had tried to arrange the game for Saturday, only for that to be rejected due to rugby union’s Sale Sharks playing at the CorpAcq Stadium on Sunday and there not being the required turnaround time.
“The clubs explored the possibility of staging the fixture on Saturday, with a 5.30pm kick-off,” he revealed.
“This option was considered due to a number of factors, including our players’ work commitments on Fridays, our younger fans being able to attend the game due to the earlier kick-off time, the benefit of a longer turnaround following our fixture at Barrow (Salford were beaten 38-4 in the league on Saturday) and providing supporters with flexibility around Manchester United’s home match against Tottenham Hotspur earlier that day (the Premier League clash is at 12.30pm on February 7).
“We were also keen to give Hull FC supporters the best possible opportunity to travel and support their team.
“Unfortunately, Sale’s fixture is scheduled for Sunday, February 8 (against Bath at 3.00pm), and stadium regulations require a minimum 24-hour turnaround between matches to allow groundstaff sufficient time to prepare the pitch.”
Salford added Widnes centre Kieran Taylor to their squad ahead of the trip to Barrow on Saturday, and he made his debut alongside fellow Vikings loanees Deacon Connolly and Toby Hughes.
The 25-year-old joined Widnes from North Wales Crusaders in the close-season.
Backrower Oliver Garmston made history in scoring the new Salford club’s first league try. The last man to score a try in a regular-season second-tier game for a Salford side was Stefan Ratchford in 2008.