Salford Red Devils 2024 season review
Overview
The Red Devils have got so used to defying the odds in recent years, it’s probably time to stop underestimating them.
In fairness, there was reason to overlook them, given they suffered some big losses before the start of the year. Andy Ackers and Brodie Croft were mainstays of the side before heading to Leeds for 2024.
That didn’t stop Salford though, as they secured a top four spot and a home play-off tie against Leigh Leopards.
The year started with a defeat at the hands of their old boys Ackers and Croft at Headingley, but they followed that up with three wins on the spin to get their campaign up and running.
From that point on they were consistently inconsistent, with a four-game winning run through June and into early July their best spell of form.
Much of that inconsistency can be attributed to the Red Devils’ exciting brand of rugby, but despite the odd blip along the way, they defeated every team in the competition at least once, except for Wigan.
When the play-offs came around, Salford knew they’d be in for a tough battle with Leigh, and that’s exactly what ensued. A 2-0 half-time lead was wiped out in the second half, as they went down fighting in a 6-14 loss, but there were far more positives than negatives to take from another excellent year.
Highs
There were so many, it’s hard knowing where to start. The Red Devils’ fourth-placed finish was their highest since 2019, they achieved their highest ever attendance at their Salford Community Stadium for the play-off clash with Leigh – 10,867 – and they won a club record 11 home Super League games in 2024.
Add in coach Paul Rowley being nominated for the Coach of the Year for a third straight season, and two players – Nene Macdonald and Marc Sneyd – being named in the Dream Team, and the highs just kept piling up.
In terms of results, the 60-10 win over Huddersfield stands out, and they stuck 58 on Hull FC just three weeks later. The back-to-back wins over Warrington and St Helens in June confirmed their status as a genuine contender as well.
Lows
Their 40-0 loss at Hull KR in the Challenge Cup was unexpected, and that was one of four occasions when they were held to nil during the year.
In attack, they scored the fewest points of the top six, but more worryingly, they conceded the most points as well, and by some margin. In fact, you have to go down to ninth-placed Huddersfield to find the next side with more points conceded.
As for individuals, David Nofoaluma will go down as one of the most disappointing signings Super League has ever seen. The Wests Tigers record try scorer in the NRL, he played just two games before heading back to Australia.
Still, all of these are mere footnotes in another outstanding campaign for Salford.
Reasons to be positive in 2025
Two words – Paul Rowley. The head coach has worked miracles with the budget he’s had, and with him at the helm, there’s every reason to think Salford can stay in the top six again next year.
2025 will be his last year in charge before he goes upstairs and becomes the club’s Director of Rugby in 2026, so he’ll be looking to bow out on a high.
As is always the case with Salford, a few big names are heading out, but they’ve made some strong signings already ahead of next year. England international Chris Hill brings bags of experience, while Joe Bullock and Esan Marsters are established Super League players. Sam Davis is arriving from London Broncos off the back of a solid year, too.
My 2024 prediction – 10th
Final 2024 position – 4th (+6)
As I said, it’s about time people stopped underestimating Salford and I’ll admit I’m one of the biggest culprits. They came into 2024 with a paper thin squad, but once again they pulled together and produced some outstanding results throughout the year. Another top six finish will be the target in 2025.
