luke swain

FOOTBALL director Steve Simms said the new season would start this week for the City Reds. A line was drawn on the club's first year back in the top flight with a battling display against the table-topping Rhinos. Up to six new players will now come in at Salford and a shake up could also take place amid the coaching staff. Assistant coach Scott Naylor is not being retained.  

Salford Reds' standoff star Stefan Ratchford is set to crown a fantastic season by being included in the England training squad in preparation for the Four Nations championship. A call up for Ratchford who is a product of the club's youth system is fairly deserved following some impressive performances in Super League this term. Luke Swain, Salford's player of the year rates Ratchford highly.  

SALFORD City Reds' bosses could offer skipper Mal Alker a coaching role alongside head coach Shaun McRae next season. Such an appointment would make sense. Alker knows the club inside out and he has the respect of everyone at Salford.  

Aussie workhorse Luke Swain was the biggest winner at Salford Reds' annual player of the year awards bash at The Willows on Friday night. The former Gold Coast Titans and Penrith Panthers player capped off a hugely impressive first season in England by picking up the coaches' and supporters' player of the year trophies. Affable loose forward Swain, aged 28, said: "It's truly humbling to be appreciated in this way for just working hard and trying your best."  

Salford will be aiming to finish the Super League season by having the top three tacklers in the engage Super League stats chart. As the competition enters the final round of the regular season, Reds skipper Malcolm Alker tops the tackle charts with a staggering 948 tackles. He is followed in second place by team mate Luke Adamson with 894 hits.

Malcolm's statistics are especially phenomenal this season when you think he is used to being an 80 minute player and this year he has shared the responsibility with Robbie Paul.   -Shaun McRae

 

LUKE Adamson is being tipped by Andy Gregory to land Salford City Reds' player-of-the-season award. The club's former coach has been hugely impressed with his dynamic displays in the back row. Adamson, who came up through the junior ranks this campaign, is among the leading contenders for the title and Gregory enthused: "As a coach you always know what you are going to get from him.  

SALFORD forward Rob Parker will only play in the Reds' final two fixtures if coach Shaun McRae is told that it is 100 per cent safe for him to do so. Parker, who fractured his skull in five places in a Super League defeat at Wigan at the start of June, was last week partially cleared to play in the forthcoming matches against Bradford and Leeds by a specialist and he was awaiting the results of a final scan as the Advertiser went to press last night, Wednesday, August 26. McRae said: "It would be grea

It would be great if Rob could play in our last two games but it was an horrendous injury and we have got to make sure that the player is absolutely right. If that is not the case then we won’t risk him. It all depends on the specialist’s final verdict.   -Shaun McRae

 

Hull KR scored three times in the first 13 minutes of the second half on their way to a 26-10 over Super League leaders St Helens on Sunday, completing the double over them in the process. Jake Webster grabbed the first and Daniel Fitzhenry pounced for two tries in quick succession to leave St Helens stunned. The opening 40 minutes had been pulsating, with non-stop end-to-end action, as referee Steve Ganson let the match flow, but the 6-4 scoreline in the home side's favour at the break indicated ther  

Salford boss Shaun McCrae has paid tribute to his men after they fought back to clinch a last gasp victory over Harlequins on Saturday. Trailing by 22-14 with little more than five minutes to play, all looked lost for the Reds until Stephen Nash and Luke Swain crossed to give them a shock 26-22 win. "When Harlequins scored late on I thought 'here we go again'," said McCrae.

When Harlequins scored late on I thought 'here we go again'   -Shaun McCrae

 

The City Reds are look­ing to put last week's dis­astrous per­form­ance behind them and come out with all guns blaz­ing against Wake­field Wild­cats at The Wil­lows this Friday. After a second half per­form­ance that Head Coach Shaun McRae said was the worst in his 401 game coach­ing career the play­ers must now look closely to see how they can change their for­tunes for the remainder of the season. Kiwi Half-Back Jeremy Smith is keen to put it behind him and said: "We have to be a lot stronger defens