KALLUM Watkins wants to hear something from Salford’s new owners after getting the silent treatment.
The Red Devils have been nothing short of a shambles since a consortium led by Swiss moneyman Dario Berta bought the club.
Kallum Watkins has called on Salford’s owners to tell players what’s going on as the club looks a shamblesSWPIX.COM
SunSport has detailed how the deal, which was meant to be for the stadium and land around it first, had to be flipped and rushed because of the club’s financial mess.
February’s wages were late, staff waited even longer and some contractors are still out of pocket.
We also told how the club faces paying £20,000-a-week of loan repayments and £1.500 of interest a DAY.
All the while, skipper Watkins and the players have been left wondering, ‘What’s going on?’ as he said: “Not everything’s been transparent, which hurts. Just tell us anything.
“It’s been tough for the whole group – that week when we didn’t get paid, staff not getting paid – it’s just wrong. It’s morally wrong.
“It’s affected their families, it’s affected mine, and it’s not right. With a few players, frustration turned to anger. I’m calm but I’ve been really frustrated.
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“Players could’ve chucked it in, I wouldn’t have blamed them either.
“But will we hear from the owners? I really don’t know. No-one from the group had spoken to the players before our last game.
“I want this to be sorted but what will be will be.”
Salford boss Paul Rowley will still operate under a £1.2 million sustainability cap for tonight’s clash with winless Huddersfield and probably the trip to Wigan.
Heads of terms being agreed for the stadium and land with the city’s council is likely to unlock a larger pot of funding, believed to be about £7 million which should pay off debts.
Salford CEO Chris Irwin revealed the club would have gone under had a takeover not gone through as debt repayments were detailedSWPIX.COM
However, SunSport understands a meeting with Rugby Football League interim chairman Nigel Wood on Tuesday underlined the difficulties the deal has caused and the club faces.
And having lost Marc Sneyd to Warrington for £75,000, Tim Lafai is flying home to Australia, Brad Singleton joined Castleford and what happens to Nene Macdonald is anyone’s guess.
Despite the anger at the wage wait, though, Watkins added: “We’ve a really good group and I’m proud of it but we don’t know what the future holds.
“Do we lose players? That’s the potential but this is the reality and I don’t blame them whatsoever. It’s personal.
Star half back Marc Sneyd was sold to Warrington for £75,000
“We can only control what we can control and find out what’s going on – we can’t control what’s going on with the owners and we’re all human at the end of the day.
“It’s hard for Paul as he can only tell us what we’re being told. We’re asking him and our chief executive, Chris Irwin, questions and they can’t answer them.
“They can try to be positive and tell us, ‘We care.’ We know you care because you’re still here trying to do whatever you possibly can to try and get through this situation.
“They shouldn’t have to be answering the tough questions, the owners should be.”
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