Salford player sales update as possible salary cap exemptions explained
Salford's situation is expected to become clear in the next week.
Super League clubs will ultimately be able to decide whether or not they allow each other to have exemptions on the salary cap and overseas quota to sign players from Salford – but the Red Devils will have the final say on who is sold and for what price.
Salford’s financial situation remains in the spotlight as the entire first-team squad prepare to head to Portugal for a week-long, warm weather training camp. However, many of Paul Rowley’s players are already being courted by other Super League clubs as the vultures begin to circle.
The Red Devils are still locked in talks with potential investors and hope to be able to deliver positive financial news before they are told they have to undertake a fire-sale of talent that could include the likes of Marc Sneyd, Kallum Watkins, Deon Cross and Nene Macdonald.
Love Rugby League revealed on Thursday that Macdonald had been the subject of interest from the likes of Hull KR – but the Red Devils are still hopeful the situation will not get to a stage where they have to sell talent.
If that happens, many potential suitors will need exemptions on either the salary cap, the overseas quota or both to make any potential deals materialise.
It is not a completely unprecedented situation, with the demise of Toronto Wolfpack in 2020 leading to a similar scenario where clubs were afforded one-year exemptions to sign Wolfpack players, who would then not count on the cap or the quota.
And Love Rugby League has been told that decision would fall squarely at the feet of the clubs themselves, who would effectively vote as to whether or not they want to approve such exemptions. It would likely be passed, but there could be resistance from clubs who have salary cap space that themselves may want to strike for Salford players.
But crucially, any player sales would be authorised by the Red Devils alone. There would be no instruction from the Rugby Football League or RL Commercial to accept bids or choose players to sell, as if the club were in some form of administration and were being run by an external body.
Senior figures at the governing body have stressed to Love Rugby League while they would recommend budget cuts, they would not order which specific players have to be sold at which specific prices.
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