The final night of the Super League season brought despair and chaos for Salford Red Devils, as supporters stormed the pitch following a heavy 52-16 defeat to Wakefield Trinity. Yet the real story lies beyond the scoreline. Salford’s long-term survival is now in jeopardy, with ownership controversies, financial collapse, and broken promises overshadowing events on the field.
The build-up to the game was dominated by protests, with both home and visiting fans uniting in anger against Salford’s current owners. Their frustration stems from months of turmoil, including a disastrous takeover, player sales to cover running costs, and a £5 million loan that has repeatedly been promised but never delivered.
Salford’s decline has been stark. Just a year ago, they were pushing for playoff places. This season, they finished bottom of the table with only three wins, having been forced to sell most of their first-team squad and rely heavily on inexperienced youngsters. Their struggles were clear once Wakefield overturned an early 12-0 deficit with a dominant display, scoring 52 unanswered points before Salford grabbed a late consolation.
But the late try sparked more than just cheers. Hundreds of frustrated supporters poured onto the pitch, focusing their anger on the directors’ box, where the ownership group had been watching. Security had to intervene, and the owners made a swift exit. For many fans, this was not a celebration but a cry of desperation—152 years of rugby league history now hangs in the balance.
Off the field, matters look increasingly grim. Salford had already admitted to taking an advance of £500,000 in central funds just to begin the season. With an HMRC winding-up petition due to be heard next month and no new investment in sight, fears are growing that the defeat to Wakefield could mark the club’s final appearance in its current form.
What happens next is unclear. The club has not applied for a place in Super League for 2026, and their expulsion from the competition appears inevitable. Whether they re-emerge in a lower division, undergo a rescue deal, or disappear altogether is now the pressing question. For the fans, the anger witnessed at the stadium was not just about one game but about the betrayal of a proud institution. Unless decisive action is taken, Salford Red Devils may become another lost name in rugby league’s long history
