Salford Red Devils: Ryan Brierley and Jack Ormondroyd depart as financial crisis worsens

Salford Red Devils have sold Ryan Brierley and Jack Ormondroyd as the club's financial crisis continues to spiral.

The beleaguered Super League club have had to sell club captain Brierley and prop Ormondroyd to Oldham to raise funds to pay creditors.

"Making the decision to leave has broken my heart, but I know it's the right one for myself at this moment in time," Brierley said. "I find peace in the fact that the club will benefit, even if it is just for the short term."

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Speaking ahead of Leigh Leopards vs Leeds Rhinos in the Super League, Brierley revealed to Sky Sports his time at Salford had become untenable.

'Breaking point'

"It's been a tough couple of months," he said. "I've probably got to that breaking point now, as a father of a five-year-old, so it's been pretty tough.

"It's been one of the toughest days of my career. Today's been a struggle. I had the conversation in the week about where this club was going and whether it could be solved.

"There are a couple of things we'll probably need to resolve towards the back end of the week to make sure the club survives, I suppose, and lives to fight another day.

"I take peace and comfort from the fact that I can help the club one last time, and hopefully it survives, at least in the short term and hopefully the long term. Hopefully the club gets back to where it belongs. It's been a tough 24 hours, as you can imagine."

After Chris Hill and Chris Hankinson left in the wake of the 74-12 defeat to Hull KR on July 31, Brierley and Ormondroyd become the 12th and 13th players to leave Salford during the season.

"I really hope everything gets sorted out at this great club and they get back where they belong, up at the top of the Super League," Ormondroyd said in a statement.

Salford finally paid their players last Wednesday, just ahead of the humiliating defeat to Hull KR.

But several players pulled out on the day of the match after discovering pension contributions had not been paid.

Off the field, non-rugby staff are yet to receive their July salaries.

Salford have been relying on external funding from WeDo Finances as their accounts remain frozen.

In July, Salford were served with a winding-up petition. The hearing has been adjourned until September 3.

This week, the club faced a fresh crisis over an unpaid insurance bill which had to be settled by Tuesday to ensure players could legally train and play.

A group of Salford Red Devils supporters have launched a new group, 'the 1873', with the aim to challenge the club's ownership and demand "urgent answers" from a "silent and neglectful" regime.

Salford are now at serious risk of not being able to field a full team for their upcoming clash with Hull FC.

The Rugby Football League has granted special dispensation to exceed the usual loan-player limit to help them raise a side.

Leeds Rhinos are among the clubs that have sent players on loan to Salford, who sit bottom of Super League with just two wins from 20 games.

Salford business model 'completely flawed'

Sky Sports' Jon Wilkin:

"The financial issues at Salford were so obvious to see. Round one, 2024, we said you'd be nervous if you were at Salford. Why? There's no wealthy benefactor. No one to top up the bath with water.

"Salford has not been an unavoidable situation, it's a completely flawed business model. Inefficient support, not enough commercial revenue, and it's been a failing model for ages.

"The game has failed to acknowledge that. It's just been a stone in the game's shoe all year. I'm bored with the Salford situation but I've got a high degree of empathy for the players, the staff, and the fans."

'A car crash in slow motion'

Sky Sports' Sam Tomkins:

"It's a bit like watching a car crash in slow motion. We're saying it's news and they've hit an all-time low, Callum Watkins leaving, that was an all-time low. It seems like it just goes on and on again. It's not going to get any better. It's going to get worse.

"Catalans have been in the Super League for 19 years, never have they come with their hand out asking for more money.

"They have got €1m of extra travel costs that no other club has to deal with, and still they're the club getting more rules and hurdles put in front of them to make it near enough impossible to stay in the league.

"Catalans don't bring bad news to this league, they don't bring it down the way Salford have."

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