Salford Red Devils have confirmed that coach Ian Watson has signed a new three-year deal with the club – while forward Ben Murdoch-Masila has also agreed a contract extension with the Devils.
Watson, whose existing contract with the Red Devils was due to expire at the end of this season, has committed his long-term future to Salford after earning rave reviews for the club’s transformation under his guidance.
They avoided relegation in last year’s Million Pound Game, but would have made the top eight had it not been for the six-point deduction imposed on them for a salary cap breach prior to his appointment as coach.
Delighted that our head coach Ian Watson have signed a long term contract @SalfordDevils
— Marwan Koukash (@drmarwanK) March 23, 2017
“This a really proud moment for me,” Watson said.
“Being a Salford lad myself, this club means a huge deal to me and I’m delighted to given the opportunity to be able to continue to take it forward.
“I feel like we have come a long way since 2015, and with the foundations we have put in place over the last two years, we will be able establish this club at the top end of Super League.”
Ian Blease had said in League Express earlier this month that the club were looking to tie down Watson long-term.
“I’m looking to secure the coach and the backroom team to long-term deals,” Blease said.
“The club needs stability and the owners have given us permission to do that. I think it’s very important as a club that we have stability. Hopefully, we can do that over the next few weeks.
“We’re talking to a number of players within the club who are out of contract. We’ve got more to speak to. We’re just trying to do it in a uniform manner so I don’t have too much on my plate at once. But we’re planning to talk to all of our out of our contract players. We either are doing already or will in the future.”
Murdoch-Masila has impressed since joining from NRL side Penrith, and he too has agreed a new long-term deal with the club.
The forward scored twice during their win against Castleford last weekend, and he, like Watson, has committed his future to the Red Devils.
