Salford Red Devils remaining calm over Paul Rowley Hull FC speculation

Salford Red Devils remain calm over increasing speculation that Paul Rowley is set to walk away from the club and become the next Hull FC coach.

The Yorkshire Post revealed on Monday how Rowley had emerged as Hull’s number one target to succeed Tony Smith, with a deal set to be put in place from the beginning of the 2025 campaign if all parties can agree on a switch.

However, there are a number of moving parts to the situation – not least the reported fee of well over £100,000, as reported by Hull Live on Tuesday, that needs to be paid in full to release Rowley from the final year of his contract.

Salford’s hierarchy have a strong working relationship with Rowley and insisted as of Tuesday afternoon that a deal had still not been concluded. Sources close to the club also indicated that they had not yet received formal confirmation from Rowley that he wishes to be released from the final year of his deal: though that could change if and when talks progress.

Salford were first contacted on Sunday afternoon by the Black and Whites in regards to an enquiry over Rowley’s availability. The Red Devils have consistently said they would not stand in the way of any player or staff member if the valuation for them is met, a club policy which applies with Rowley.

That said, Salford would unsurprisingly be keen to keep Rowley long-term if he decides against the switch to the MKM Stadium. If Rowley indicates to Salford he would like to take the job at Hull, the Red Devils are also bracing themselves for approaches for a number of key members of Rowley’s backroom team at Salford, as well as potential playing recruits.

Once again though, they would be subject to fees to release them from their existing deals with the Super League club. 

The timing of any likely deal, with Rowley not taking charge until the end of this season, means Salford are understandably relaxed about who his successor could be, with those discussions not likely to begin until much later in the year.

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