Where are they now? The Salford Red Devils team from the 2016 Million Pound Game

We’re approaching the eight-year anniversary of Salford’s infamous triumph at Hull KR in the 2016 Million Pound Game which saw Gareth O’Brien’s incredible drop goal secure the Red Devils’ Super League status.

On October 1, 2016, O’Brien kicked a one-pointer in Golden Point extra time at Craven Park as Salford recorded a 19-18 success which relegated hosts KR. It’s a game that has gone down in history for a variety of reasons.

It could, perhaps, be seen as a blessing in disguise for Hull KR as they’ve come back better than ever before and are now genuine contenders for the Super League title.

Salford meanwhile continue to defy the odds, and are chasing a second play-off finish in three seasons.

The two sides meet again at Craven Park on Friday night, so we thought we’d take a walk down memory lane with a look at what happened next to the Salford side from the 2016 triumph…

1. Gareth O’Brien

O’Brien only converted one of Salford’s four tries on the day, but ended up the match-winner, kicking the drop goal which won the Million Pound Game during Golden Point and writing his name into Super League folklore in the process.

At the age of 32, having gone on to don a shirt for both Toronto Wolfpack and Castleford Tigers, he’s still playing in Super League for Leigh. Joining the Leopards last year, he won the Challenge Cup and has put pen to paper on a new deal for 2025. He’s just three games away from the milestone of 300 career appearances.

2. Greg Johnson

Six-time Jamaica international Johnson scored one of Salford’s four tries at Craven Park, and that was one of 50 he scored for the Red Devils before departing for Bradford Bulls at the end of the 2019 season.

Also donning a shirt for London Skolars, Tthe 34-year-old winger is still involved in the game with Championship outfit Batley Bulldogs having been at Mount Pleasant since 2021, but hasn’t played since February. He has now made exactly 180 career appearances.

3. Josh Jones

Jones, who had already surpassed a century of appearances for St Helens prior to joining Salford, played 115 games for the Red Devils between 2016 and 2019. The three-time Great Britain international joined Hull FC in 2020, and then joined Huddersfield Giants the following year.

Last playing on March 17, 2023, he retired six months later due to concussion-related issues having departed Huddersfield a few days prior. Last month, Jones announced the sad news that he had been diagnosed with Stage 2 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) at the age of 31.

4. Junior Sa’u

Salford were New Zealand and Samoa international Sa’u’s first club in the British game, joining the Red Devils in 2014 and going on to feature more than 100 times for the Greater Manchester outfit. Notably, he’s never returned Down Under since, making over 200 career appearances over here having featured in Super League, the Championship and League 1.

Having turned 37 in April, Sa’u – who left Salford for Leigh early on in the 2019 season – has been with Keighley Cougars since 2022. He has recently penned a contract extension for 2025 at Cougar Park.

5. Josh Griffin

2016 was Oxford-born Griffin’s last season with Salford, and this was the last of 55 appearances for the Red Devils over a three-year period. When he left the Greater Manchester outfit, he linked up with Hull FC, winning the Challenge Cup in his first year with the Black and Whites.

Now 34, Griffin remained with Hull until midway through last season when he linked up with Wakefield Trinity, the club he came through the youth ranks at. Scoring 17 tries in 24 appearances for Trinity this term, he lifted the Championship League Leaders’ Shield last weekend, and is now four games off the milestone of 300 career appearances.

6. Rob Lui

Queensland native Lui made almost a century of appearances in the NRL, crowned a champion Down Under in 2015, before moving over to Super League, joining Salford in 2016. Eventually leaving for Leeds in June 2019, he featured 109 times for the Red Devils, scoring 35 tries and 33 goals.

The playmaker, now 34, went on to amass a further 37 appearances for the Rhinos, including one at Wembley against Salford in the 2020 Challenge Cup final. Lui returned to Australia at the end of the 2021 campaign and spent 2022 playing in the Queensland Cup for the Townsville Blackhawks. If you know what he’s up to now, let us know!

7. Michael Dobson

New South Wales native Dobson joined Salford in 2015 following his departure from NRL outfit Newcastle Knights having previously featured in Super League for Catalans Dragons, Canberra Raiders and Hull KR. The half-back – who played for The Exiles in 2013 – went on to amass 302 points for the Red Devils in 80 appearances.

Returning to Australia at the end of the 2017 campaign, Dobson – now 38 – played for the Wynnum Manly Seagulls prior to moving into the coaching world. He joined the Knights’ coaching staff ahead of the 2023 season, replacing current Hull KR boss Willie Peters.

8. Luke Burgess

The brother of Sam, George and Tom, 37-year-old Luke – who spent five years Down Under in the NRL with South Sydney Rabbitohs and Manly Sea Eagles – enjoyed two separate stints at Salford. First spending 2016 with the Red Devils, he then returned in 2018 to round off his career having moved to Catalans for 2017.

Across the two stints at the Salford Community Stadium, he amassed 23 appearances for the Red Devils. Hanging up his boots at the end of that 2018 campaign, Burgess is now back Down Under working as an Investment Specialist in property.

9. Logan Tomkins

The brother of Sam and Joel, hooker Logan made 137 of his 206 senior career appearances in a Salford shirt, featuring on loan for the Red Devils in 2014 and 2015 before making his stay a permanent one in 2016.

Departing after their Grand Final defeat in 2019, he linked up with Widnes Vikings, but called time on his career in December 2021 having spent a long time sidelined through injury. Now 32, Tomkins is now in the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.

10. George Griffin

The younger brother of Josh, 32-year-old George joined Salford in 2015 and spent four seasons with the Red Devils, donning the club’s shirt on 114 occasions. Of the six clubs he’s represented so far in his career, he’s not featured more often for any of the other five.

Griffin joined Castleford when he left Greater Manchester, and remains with the Tigers to this day. His most recent game, against Salford, saw him bring up the milestone of 250 career appearances

11. Ben Murdoch-Masila

16-time Tonga international Murdoch-Masila made the move to Super League with Salford in 2016, joining them from NRL outfit Penrith Panthers. The powerhouse spent two seasons with the Red Devils and made 60 appearances in their colours before linking up with Warrington – winning the Challenge Cup with the Wolves in 2019.

On the scoresheet with a try at Craven Park during this Million Pound Game triumph, the 33-year-old returned to the NRL with the New Zealand Warriors in 2021 and moved on to St George Illawarra Dragons last term. He remains with St George today.

12. Weller Hauraki

Having started his career in the NRL with Parramatta Eels, Hauraki moved over to Super League with Crusaders in 2010 and would go on to play for five other clubs in the British game over the course of the next decade. Salford were one of those, with the New Zealander joining the Red Devils in 2015 and making 73 appearances for the club over the four seasons which followed.

Departing for Hull KR at the end of the 2018 season, the versatile forward hung up his boots in February 2021, appearing in an unofficial game for Lancashire against Yorkshire before heading back over to Australia. Three years on, Hauraki is now 39 and works as a carpenter!

13. Mark Flanagan

Oldham-born Flanagan, the son of former Great Britain international Terry, rounded off his career with Salford. Joining the Red Devils from St Helens in 2016, he made 111 appearances for the Greater Manchester outfit prior to hanging up his boots at the end of the 2020 campaign.

Those 111 virtually doubled his overall career appearance tally, ending on 221 at club level and 222 when you include the one he made for England Knights in 2012. Flanagan, now 36, is the co-owner of a coffee shop and a bakehouse in Manchester alongside Sky Sports pundit Jon Wilkin.

Craig Kopczak (sub)

Kopczak, a 20-time Wales international, made 84 appearances for Salford between 2016 and 2018 having joined the club from Huddersfield Giants. Joining Wakefield when he left Salford, the forward also spent time with Featherstone Rovers before linking up with current club Oldham ahead of this season.

Having played 19 games for the Roughyeds this term, Kopczak has recently been crowned a League 1 champion and will ply his trade back in the Championship next term. The veteran will turn 38 in December, and has now made 435 career appearances, including those caps for Wales.

Olsi Krasniqi (sub)

Albanian forward Krasniqi, the son of a professional wrestler, joined Salford from London Broncos in 2015. He was with the Red Devils for three seasons, playing 55 games in their colours before departing for Canadian outfit Toronto Wolfpack at the end of the 2017 campaign.

Eventually making a return to London, Krasniqi retired in 2021 due to concussion-related issues. Born in Tirana, the ex-forward is a self-employed Personal Trainer based in the Staines area. When he hung up his boots, the 32-year-old had 193 career appearances on his CV.

Sean Kenny (sub)

Salford paid a nominal fee to Warrington for the acquisition of then-21-year-old Kenny, who had come through the Wolves’ youth ranks. He hadn’t made a senior appearance when the Red Devils signed him in June 2016, but went on to feature in nine games that year, including the Million Pound Game.

Kenny’s journey in professional rugby league soon ended, joining Swinton Lions the following year and more recently donning a shirt for Thatto Heath Crusaders, where he also coaches the club’s under-16s.

Niall Evalds (sub)

The man of the moment for Salford in the first 80 minutes of the Million Pound Game, Evalds came off the bench to grab two of their four tries at Craven Park. A product of the club’s academy, the utility back – now a one-time England international – had been with the Greater Manchester outfit from the age of 15.

He made 160 senior appearances in a Red Devils shirt in total before departing for Castleford in 2021. Spending three years with the Tigers, Evalds – 31 – then linked up with KR themselves ahead of this season and has impressed for Willie Peters’ side, scoring 10 tries in 24 appearances to date.

Head coach: Ian Watson

Born and bred in Salford, Watson donned a shirt for his hometown club during his playing days and re-joined the Red Devils as an assistant to Iestyn Harris in July 2015. The following year, Harris departed and Watson was handed the job on an interim basis before being made permanent ahead of the 2016 campaign.

After this Million Pound Game, he would go on to lead Salford to the Grand Final in 2019 and the Challenge Cup final 12 months later, before departing for fellow Super League outfit Huddersfield Giants ahead of the 2021 season.

After two-and-a-half years in charge of the Giants, the 47-year-old was relieved of his duties in July, and is currently out of work.

The Hull KR team from the 2016 Million Pound Game

Starting 13: Ben Cockayne, Ken Sio, Thomas Minns, Iain Thornley, Josh Mantellato, Terry Campese, Matty Marsh, Dane Tilse, Shaun Lunt, Adam Walker, Maurice Blair, Chris Clarkson, James Donaldson

Bench: Graeme Horne, Jamie Peacock, Mitchell Allgood, Will Jubb

Head coach: James Webster

Tries: Josh Mantellato, Thomas Minns, Adam Walker

Goals: Josh Mantellato (3)